Distraction

[larrypmac]

One of my teammates mentioned this one last night... she was open in the end zone and about to catch the disc and the defender (big guy) wasn't going to be able to get there for the block, so he just started clapping hoping that the noise would distract her. That can't be allowed, right? It has the same "feel" as blocking the vision of the handler and I don't see either one in the rules.

[GregS]

Vision blocking is XIV.B.4. II.C says that a defensive player cannot "call for a pass from the thrower", but I think that's the only thing related to illegal sounds that a defender might make. Could be considered poor spirit, but not illegal. Then again, most things that are illegal are so because everyone had previously tacitly agreed that they shouldn't be done, and then somebody started doing it and there was no recourse in the rules.

[tjweir]

Yup, not illegal, but certainly a "dirt bag" play.