Rules question · Rule 9.2b · Expert
My golf bag falls over and moves my ball: is there a penalty?
You put your golf bag down on a slope next to your ball and choose a club. Half a minute later the bag topples over and moves your ball. What is the ruling?
Answer
No penalty, you replace the ball on its original spot
If the bag falls over some time after you put it down, it is not known that you caused the ball to move. The bag is then treated as an outside influence: no penalty, and the ball is replaced on its original spot. If it falls over immediately, you caused the ball to move, and that is one penalty stroke.