Rule 7 · Playing the ball
Rule 7: Searching for and identifying your ball
Official title: Ball Search: Finding and Identifying Ball
You may search fairly for your ball and lift it to identify it. If you accidentally move it while doing so, it costs nothing. But if you go too far and improve your lie, there is a penalty.
7.1 Searching fairly
You may bend grass and bushes and also move sand and water, as far as you need to for the search. Since 2019 you have three minutes to search, set out in Rule 18.2a. If the lie of your ball is altered while searching in sand, you recreate it. A small part of the ball may stay visible.
7.2 Identifying your ball
You can recognise your ball by your own mark, by brand, type, number and condition if there is no identical ball nearby, or because someone saw it come to rest and it must be yours.
Rules question on this
7.3 Lifting to identify
If you have to lift the ball to recognise it, you mark the spot first. You may clean it only as far as you need to identify it. Then you replace it.
7.4 Moved while searching
If someone accidentally moves your ball while searching, there is no penalty. You replace it, and if the spot is not known, you estimate it.
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