Rule 11 · Playing the ball
Rule 11: Ball in motion hits something
Official title: Ball in Motion Accidentally Hits Person, Animal or Object; Deliberate Actions to Affect Ball in Motion
If your ball in motion accidentally hits someone or something, there is almost always no penalty, and you play on from where it stops. Nobody may deliberately affect it.
11.1 Hit by accident
No penalty, even if your ball hits you. The important exception: in stroke play it costs two penalty strokes if you play from the putting green and hit a ball at rest on the green. You normally play from where your ball stops. A putt that hits a person, an animal or a movable obstruction on the putting green is in most cases replayed.
Rules questions on this
- Ball hits a golf cart: is there a penalty?
- My ball hits another player: is there a penalty?
- Is there a penalty if my own ball hits me?
- Putt hits another player’s ball: what is the penalty in stroke play?
- Chip hits another player’s ball on the putting green: is there a penalty?
6 more questions
11.2 Deliberately deflected or stopped
Anyone who deliberately deflects or stops a moving ball gets the general penalty. For your ball, the Rule sets where you play next, depending on the place.
11.3 Removing objects
While a ball is moving, you must not deliberately affect where it may stop by changing conditions or removing loose impediments or movable obstructions. The exceptions are a removed flagstick, a ball at rest on the putting green and a player’s equipment.
Rules question on this
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