TheRules
by JAMIE WALLACE
ACCIDENTAL MOVEMENT OF YOUR GOLF BALL during a round is one of many areas
that underwent a lot of player-friendly change in the new 2019 Rules. Still, some golfers
may be confused about when there is a penalty, when there is not, when the ball must be
replaced, or when the ball should be played from its new location.
SEARCHING FOR YOUR BALL
If you are searching for your ball or trying
to identify a ball you have found, there is
no penalty if you accidentally cause it to
move. As an example, if you are looking for
your ball in an area with a lot of leaves or
other debris and you accidentally kick your
ball, there is no penalty. Simply replace it as
closely as possible to the spot that you esti-
mate where it originally lay. Additionally, if
you find a ball in long grass, mark its loca-
tion, and then accidentally bump and move
it in the process of lifting it to identify it,
there is also no penalty. Simply identify it,
replace it if it is yours, and play on. (Rule 7.4)
ACCIDENTAL MOVEMENT ON THE
PUTTING GREEN
Another case where a penalty has been
removed is for any kind of accidental
movement of your ball on the putting
green. The following would be included
as long as the movement is accidental:
hitting your ball with a practice swing,
moving your ball while trying to mark
it, kicking your ball, dropping a club on
your ball, bumping your ball with your
putter in addressing it, etc. In all of these
cases, simply replace the ball and play on
without penalty. This also applies to any
accidental movement of a ball-marker on
the putting green. Rule (13.1d)
ACCIDENTAL MOVEMENT
ANYWHERE OTHER THAN ON THE
PUTTING GREEN
Accidental movement anywhere on the golf
course other than the putting green will
generally still be a penalty, unless one of
the above exceptions apply. Let’s look at a
few common examples. If your ball is in the
fairway and you accidentally kick and move
it, that will be a one-stroke penalty and the
ball must be replaced on its original spot.
If you accidentally move
your ball on the putting
green, simply replace it
and move on.
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BALL MOVED BY OPPONENT OR
OUTSIDE INFLUENCE
The term “outside influence” encom-
passes all other players in stroke play
as well as any person other than your
opponent(s) in match play, your partner,
or either of your caddies. It also includes
animals. If one of these outside influences
deliberately lifts or touches your ball or
accidentally causes it to move, there is
no penalty to anyone. Simply estimate
the spot where the ball lay, replace it, and
play on.
If your opponent deliberately lifts or
touches your ball or causes it to move, the
opponent will get one penalty stroke. You
must then replace your ball, just like in
all of the previously discussed scenarios.
However, the same exceptions mentioned
above that apply to you, the player, would
also apply to the opponent. For example,
if your opponent moves your ball while
searching for it or moves it accidentally
on the putting green, there would be no
penalty. An additional exception to pen-
alty would be if your opponent marks and
lifts your ball on the green by mistake.
MOVEMENT BY NATURAL FORCES
The Rules also recognize “natural forc-
es”—including wind, water and gravity—
as something that can potentially cause
your ball to move. If your ball is moved
by any of these, there is no penalty and
you will generally just play your ball from
its new location. The one exception is on
the putting green. If you have already
marked, lifted, and replaced your ball
and it then moves to a new location due
to something like wind or gravity, you will
replace that ball on its original spot.
Natural forces are essentially the default
cause of movement under the Rules. If it
is not clear that you, your opponent, or
an outside influence caused your ball to
move, that movement will be attributed to
natural forces.
Jamie Wallace is a member of the USGA
Rules staff.
vsga.org
I Accidentally Moved My
Ball–What Do I Do Now?
If you move a leaf next to your ball in the
rough that causes your ball to move, the
same penalty will apply. As a final example,
if you accidentally touch your ball with
your club in getting ready for a stroke and
that causes your ball to move, that will also
be a one-stroke penalty.