Ground Touch vs Check

[Hank]

Is offering the disc for a check generally accepted as an alternative
to a ground tap.

For example - The disc goes out of bounds and the thrower walks it to
the line where the marker is waiting. Instead of touching the disc
to the ground, the thrower offers the disc to the marker for a check
and then passes the disc.

If another defender called travel for not touching the disc to the
ground, would the call stand?

Thoughts?

-H


THE THROWER
XIII.B For a live disc to be put into play, the thrower must establish
a pivot at the appropriate spot on the field, touch the disc to the
ground, and put it into play.

STARTING AND RESTARTING PLAY
VIII.D.3 When the situation is resolved, the player determined to be
in possession offers the disc to the marker for a check.

[Alex Peters]

If you do not touch the disc to the ground, you have traveled, the
rule is very clear (XIII.B and XVI.J.1.d).

Your inclusion of VIII.D.3 here is inappropriate because we are
discussing situations which are NOT checks, thus this rule is has no
bearing.

Simply because one player decides to offer the disc (in a manner not
prescribed by the the rules) and another player "touches it in" (in a
manner not prescribed by the rules), does not suddenly absolve you
from committing a violation that IS described by the rules. If any
defender wants to call it they are fully justified in doing so. This
is really no different from leaning over to the thrower and saying,
"go ahead and drag your foot 6 inches when you huck, I won't call it"
and then having another player call the travel. The first player is
not granted some power to change the rules on the fly to his liking,
and the thrower is not absolved from following the rules because of
anything the marker said or did.

[Jon Bauman]

Technically offering a check is not correct, but it is generally accepted behavior. Most player either don't know, or those who do don't care because a check serves the same purpose as the tap for indicating that the thrower has set their pivot. Throwers who are in the know just tap and don't offer. Markers who are in the know don't complain since it's probably less advantageous to the thrower to offer a check.

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "UPA 11th edition rules" group.
To post to this group, send email to upa_11th_ed...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to upa_11th_edition_...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/upa_11th_edition_rules?hl=en.

[Colin]

The travel call would definitely stand. It's a travel. If a defender
chooses to make that call, the rules support it and that's the end of
it. No implicit agreements (regarding physicality, ground touch
alternatives, or otherwise) will trump the rules or undermine a call
supported by the rules..

Practically speaking, I agree with Jon's comments above, in that lots
of players accept the offering of the disc as a ground-touch
substitute and it accomplishes the purposes of the ground touch. If
the thrower and the seven potential travel-callers (defenders) are all
on the same page, then that seems fine. But unlike agreements between
opponents on physicality, which require only two players to be on the
same page, eight players need to be on the same page for the ground-
touch alternative.

I always just touch the disc to the ground, though. It avoids
confusion and I see no real good reason not to. It also gives players
downfield a clear indication that the disc is in play. As a marker, I
do not always set up close and in comfortable disc-touching/offering
range, so I prefer the thrower just touching the disc to the ground,
rather than walking up closer to me (to the incorrect spot) to offer
the disc.

-Colin