The ADG tournament committee has just approved updated tournament guidelines for 2025. The PDGA have also made big updates to the Official Rules of Disc Golf, the Competition Manual for Disc Golf Events and the International Program Guide. Both players and organisers need to familiarise themselves with these changes. Read the ADG Tournament Directors Guide in full for more details and read on for a quick summary.

_{📷Kingsley Flett}

The following summarises some (but not all) of the major changes applicable to the running of ADG sanctioned events in 2025 compared to previous years. It is intended to highlight significant aspects of which players and organisers should be aware but is not a substitute for reading the updated guide in full. The PDGA have also provided a helpful summary of their changes.

Here are some of the highlights of changes specifically for ADG sanctioned events.

• In general, language has been significantly expanded to provide much more detail and clarify several areas that had caused misunderstandings previously or that frequently resulted in questions from organisers.
• Submitting an event for sanctioning must now go through an online form which provides better validation of the required information.
• Recommended PDGA A-Tier minimum for ADGC and B-tier for ADGTour Majors. Will become mandatory from 2026.
• Minimum pro purses of AUD5000 for ADGC, AUD1500 for ADGTour Major and AUD250 for ADGTour events.
• Payout cutline at 33% (top 40% recommended, required from 2026) at ADGC, 33% at ADGTour Major events and 20% at ADGTour events.
• Minimum percentage of net entry fees paid out for Pro/Am of 85% (100% recommended, required from 2026) at ADGC, 85% at ADGTour Majors and 33% at ADGTour events. This must be at least 75% of gross entry fee for ADGC, 50% for ADGTour Major and 33% ADGTour events.
• FP40, FA50 and FA3 now added as ADGTour divisions and required to be offered for at least 1 week of general registration or pre-registration. This is to comply with new PDGA requirements in 2025 regarding mirroring access to mixed and gender protected divisions.
• Underserved divisions (Women’s, Junior and age 50+ divisions) must be run if at least 1 player is registered in that division per new PDGA requirements in 2025.
• In line with gender protected division normalisation FA4 is no longer an ADGTour points bearing division similar to MA4. It must still be offered at all ADGTour events with the exception of ADGC.
• Grouping and sectioning exceptions in the International Program are removed for all ADGTour events and must follow standard PDGA rules. Non-ADG tour events are not affected.
• Added official clarification that organisers are permitted to offer a reduced number of rounds to junior divisions if desired.
• ADG registration system has been updated to check if players are minors when registering to go along with language added to the TD guide.
• Timing restrictions on ADGTour events changed to only prevent events on the same weekend as an ADGTour Major in the same state (rather than country wide) or ADGC in any state.
• Toilets and water requirements for ADGC and ADGTour Majors, recommended for all other events.
• Note that in general, events that wish to access the full range of exceptions in the PDGA International Program guide should now be sanctioned as Non-tour events since as noted above, higher minimum standards are imposed at ADGTour series events.
• Unique basket requirement for ADGTour events that are not ADGTour Majors or ADGC reduced to 9 baskets to allow more courses to qualify for running ADGTour events.
• Sanctioning deadlines for ADGTour Major and ADGC events have been increased to allow earlier announcement.
• Clarified what information needs to be submitted to ADG after events in the different formats are completed as this was a common question.
• Added language on safety and weather policies.
• Checklist for organisers added to run through before, during and after their events.
• Detailed section added on additional requirements and considerations for ADGC and Majors which have a substantially higher expectation on quality and consistency.
• A full description of the ADGTour points formula is now included to clarify how tour points are calculated. States may also use this formula as a basis for state tours if they wish.

It has been a huge year for disc golf in Australia and the ADG board has been kept very busy guiding record participation and supporting a large number of tournaments and big events. The 2024 ADG annual report outlines what the board has been up to and some of the highlights from the year of disc golf in Australia. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered their time to help run a club, TD an event, support a TD, or assisted in growing the sport.

The end of 2024 also brings with it a change at ADG. A heartfelt thanks to outgoing board and committee members (Dave Kynaston, Sam Ockerby, Brian Clevenger and Nicole McPherson), including long-serving chairperson Luke Turnbull, whose decade of leadership has seen us through challenging times. We now welcome Jeremiah Flickinger as Chairperson and Chris Finn as Vice Chair. With a team of returning and new board and committee members we are ready for a great 2025.

The 2024 Annual General Meeting of Australian Disc Golf (inc) will be held online on

Tuesday 10th Dec, 8:30pm AEDT.

The AGM is open to all ADG members and is a great opportunity to ask questions of the board, provide feedback and discuss what disc golf in Australia should look like.

Further details including the link to join, agenda, and documents can be found here.

At the meeting we will be electing the ADG board for 2024. If you are interested in nominating
for a position on the ADG board, Tournament committee or State Representative Body please read the positions descriptions found here and complete the linked formed by 8pm AEDT Friday 15th November. If there is someone you think should apply please let them know you will support their application. We welcome applicants from diverse gender and cultural backgrounds.