Ball in Motion Accidentally Hits Person, Animal or Object;

Back

Ball in Motion Accidentally Hits Person, Animal or Object; Deliberate Actions to Affect Ball in Motion

Jump to section

Official Rules

Clarifications

11.1Ball in Motion Accidentally Hits Person or Outside Influence

11.1aNo Penalty to Any Player

11.1bPlace from Where Ball Must Be Played

11.2Ball in Motion Deliberately Deflected or Stopped by Person

11.2aWhen Rule 11.2 Applies

11.2bWhen Penalty Applies to a Player

11.2cPlace from Where Deliberately Deflected or Stopped Ball Must Be Played

11.3Deliberately Removing Objects or Altering Conditions to Affect Ball in Motion

Rule 10 Rule 12

Print Section

Purpose of Rule: Rule 11 covers what to do if the player’s ball in motion hits a person, animal, equipment or anything else on the course. When this happens accidentally, there is no penalty and the player normally must accept the result, whether favourable or not, and play the ball from where it comes to rest. Rule 11 also restricts a player from deliberately taking actions to affect where any ball in motion might come to rest.

Ball in Motion Accidentally Hits Person, Animal or Object; Deliberate Actions to Affect Ball in Motion

This Rule applies any time a ball in play is in motion (whether after a stroke or otherwise), except when a ball has been dropped in a relief area and has not yet come to rest. That situation is covered by Rule 14.3.

11.1

Ball in Motion Accidentally Hits Person or Outside Influence

11.1a

No Penalty to Any Player

If a player’s ball in motion accidentally hits any person (including the player) or outside influence:

There is no penalty to any player.
This is true even if the ball hits the player, the opponent or any other player or any of their caddies or equipment.

Exception – Ball Played on Putting Green in Stroke Play: If the player’s ball in motion hits another ball at rest on the putting green and both balls were on the putting green before the stroke, the player gets the general penalty (two penalty strokes).

11.1b

Place from Where Ball Must Be Played

(1) When Ball is Played from Anywhere Except on Putting Green. If a player’s ball in motion played from anywhere except the putting green accidentally hits any person (including the player) or outside inﬂuence (including equipment), the ball must normally be played as it lies. But if the ball comes to rest on any person, animal or moving outside influence, the player must not play the ball as it lies. Instead, the player must take relief:

When Ball Comes to Rest on Any Person, Animal or Moving Outside Influence Located Anywhere Except on Putting Green. The player must drop the original ball or another ball in this relief area (see Rule 14.3):
- Reference Point: The estimated point right under where the ball ﬁrst came to rest on the person, animal or moving outside inﬂuence.
- Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: One club-length, but with these limits:
- Limits on Location of Relief Area:
  - Must be in the same area of the course as the reference point, and
  - Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point.
When Ball Comes to Rest on Any Person, Animal or Moving Outside Influence Located on Putting Green. The player must place the original ball or another ball on the estimated spot right under where the ball ﬁrst came to rest on the person, animal or moving outside inﬂuence, using the procedures for replacing a ball under Rules 14.2b(2) and 14.2e.

Penalty for Playing from a Wrong Place in Breach of Rule 11.1b(1): General Penalty Under Rule 14.7. (2) When Ball Is Played from Putting Green. If a player’s ball in motion played from the putting green accidentally hits the player or an outside inﬂuence, the ball must normally be played as it lies. But if it is known or virtually certain that the ball in motion hit any of the following on the putting green, the player must replay the stroke by playing the original ball or another ball from the spot where that stroke was made (see Rule 14.6):

Any person other than:
- the player, or
- a person attending the flagstick (this is covered by Rule 13.2b(2), not by this Rule).
A movable obstruction other than:
- the club used to make the stroke,
- a ball-marker,
- a ball at rest (see Rule 11.1a for whether a penalty applies in stroke play), or
- a flagstick (this is covered by Rule 13.2b(2), not by this Rule).
An animal other than those defined as a loose impediment (such as an insect).

If the player replays the stroke but does so from a wrong place, they get the general penalty under Rule 14.7. If the player does not replay the stroke they get the general penalty and the stroke counts, but the player has not played from a wrong place. See Rule 25.4k (for players who use an assistive mobility device, Rule 11.1b(2) is modified so that a ball hitting the device is played as it lies).

11.2

Ball in Motion Deliberately Deflected or Stopped by Person

11.2a

When Rule 11.2 Applies

This Rule applies only when it is known or virtually certain that a player’s ball in motion was deliberately deflected or stopped by a person, which is when:

A person deliberately touches the ball in motion, or
The ball in motion hits any equipment or other object (except a ball-marker or another ball at rest before the ball was played or otherwise went into motion) or any person (such as the player’s caddie) that a player deliberately positioned or left in a particular location so that the equipment, object or person might deflect or stop the ball in motion.

Exception – Ball Deliberately Deflected or Stopped in Match Play When No Reasonable Chance It Can Be Holed: An opponent's ball in motion that is deliberately deflected or stopped at a time when there is no reasonable chance it can be holed, and when done either as a concession or when the ball needed to be holed to tie the hole, is covered by Rule 3.2a(1) or 3.2b(1), not by this Rule. For a player’s right to have a ball or ball-marker lifted before a stroke is made if they reasonably believe the ball or ball-marker might help or interfere with play, see Rule 15.3.

11.2b

When Penalty Applies to a Player

A player gets the general penalty if they deliberately deflect or stop any ball in motion.
This is true whether it is the player’s own ball or a ball played by an opponent or by another player in stroke play.

Exception – Ball Moving in Water: There is no penalty if a player lifts their ball moving in water in temporary water or in a penalty area when taking relief under Rule 16.1 or 17 (see Rule 10.1d Exception 3). See Rules 22.2 (in Foursomes, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner is treated as action of the player); 23.5 (in Four-Ball, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner concerning the player’s ball or equipment is treated as action of the player).

11.2c

Place from Where Deliberately Deflected or Stopped Ball Must Be Played

If it is known or virtually certain that a player’s ball in motion was deliberately deflected or stopped by a person (whether or not the ball has been found), it must not be played as it lies. Instead, the player must take relief: (1) Stroke Made from Anywhere Except Putting Green. The player must take relief based on the estimated spot where the ball would have come to rest if not deflected or stopped:

When Ball Would Have Come to Rest Anywhere on Course Except on Putting Green. The player must drop the original ball or another ball in this relief area (see Rule 14.3):
- Reference Point: The estimated spot where the ball would have come to rest.
- Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: One club-length, but with these limits:
- Limits on Location of Relief Area:
  - Must be in the same area of the course as the reference point, and
  - Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point.

Exception – Ball Estimated to Have Come to Rest in Penalty Area: If the estimated spot of the ball is in a penalty area, the player is not required to take relief under this Rule. Alternatively the player may directly take relief from the penalty area under Rule 17.1d based on the estimated point the ball would have last crossed the edge of the penalty area.

When Ball Would Have Come to Rest on Putting Green. The player must place the original ball or another ball on the estimated spot where the ball would have come to rest, using the procedures for replacing a ball under Rule 14.2b(2) and 14.2e.
When Ball Would Have Come to Rest Out of Bounds. The player must take stroke-and-distance relief under Rule 18.2.

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Rule 11.2c(1): General Penalty under Rule 14.7a. (2) Stroke Made from Putting Green. The player must replay the stroke by playing the original ball or another ball from the spot where that stroke was made (see Rule 14.6). If the player replays the stroke but does so from a wrong place, they get the general penalty under Rule 14.7. If the player does not replay the stroke, they get the general penalty and the stroke counts, but the player has not played from a wrong place.

11.3

Deliberately Removing Objects or Altering Conditions to Affect Ball in Motion

When a ball is in motion, a player must not deliberately take any of these actions to affect where that ball (whether the player’s own ball or another player’s ball) might come to rest:

Alter physical conditions by taking any of the actions listed in Rule 8.1a (such as replacing a divot or pressing down a raised area of turf), or
Lift or remove:
- A loose impediment (see Rule 15.1a, Exception 2), or
- A movable obstruction (see Rule 15.2a, Exception 2).

The player is in breach of this Rule for taking these deliberate actions even if the action does not affect where the ball comes to rest. Exception – Moving Flagstick, Ball at Rest on Putting Green and Player Equipment: This Rule does not prohibit a player from lifting or moving:

A removed flagstick,
A ball at rest on the putting green (see Rules 9.4, 9.5 and 14.1 for whether a penalty applies), or
Equipment belonging to any player (other than a ball at rest anywhere except the putting green or a ball-marker anywhere on the course).

Removing the flagstick from the hole (including by attending it) while a ball is in motion is covered by Rule 13.2, not by this Rule. Penalty for Taking an Action that Is Not Allowed in Breach of Rule 11.3: General Penalty. See Rules 22.2 (in Foursomes, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner is treated as action of the player); 23.5 (in Four-Ball, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner concerning the player’s ball or equipment is treated as action of the player).

EXPLORE MORE

Rule 1 The Game, Player Conduct and the Rules

Purpose of Rule: Rule 1 introduces these central principles of the game for the player: Play the course as you ﬁnd it and play the ball as it lies....