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Rule 14 · Lifting and returning a ball

Rule 14: Marking, replacing, dropping

Official title: Procedures for Ball: Marking, Lifting and Cleaning; Replacing on Spot; Dropping in Relief Area; Playing from Wrong Place

This Rule tells you how to lift your ball and put it back in play: mark before you lift, replace on exactly the same spot, drop in the relief area.

14.1 Marking, lifting, cleaning

If you have to replace the ball, you mark the spot first, otherwise it costs one penalty stroke. You and anyone you authorise may lift it. On the putting green you may always clean your ball. Elsewhere you normally may too, but not if you lifted it to check for damage or for possible relief, or because it interferes with another player, and only as far as needed if you lifted it to identify it.

14.2 Replacing

You put the original ball back on the original spot. You or the person who lifted or moved it may do this. If the original lie has been altered, the Rule sets out what to do. If the ball does not stay, you try again, and if that does not help either, you find the nearest spot where it stays at rest.

14.3 Dropping

Since 2019 you let the ball fall from knee height, before that it was shoulder height. It must land in the relief area and stay there. If it rolls out, you drop a second time. If it rolls out again, you place it where it landed on the second drop. With ‘back on the line’, since 2023 it must land on the line.

14.4 When your ball is back in play

As soon as you have replaced, dropped or placed it with the intention of putting it in play, even if something went wrong in doing so. From the teeing area: as soon as you have played it.

14.5 Correcting mistakes

If you made a mistake replacing or dropping, you may correct it without penalty as long as you have not yet played the ball.

14.6 Playing from where the last stroke was made

If you have to or want to play from where your last stroke was, it depends on the place: from the teeing area you may tee up again, from the general area, a penalty area or a bunker you drop, on the putting green you place.

14.7 Playing from a wrong place

That costs the general penalty. In stroke play, if it is a serious breach, meaning a significant advantage, you must play again from the right place before teeing off on the next hole, or you are disqualified.

In the videos

Rule 14.3Ball rolls away after the drop: what now?Lateral reliefWatch videoLateral dropRule 14.3Back on the line: where do you drop?Since 2023Watch videoBack on the line

Our own simplified summary of the 2023 Rules of Golf. The official Rules text is what counts.