Deliberately Stopping a Moving Ball: Penalty and Procedure
2 min read
The Situation
If a golfer deliberately stops their ball while it's in motion, what is the penalty, and how should they proceed according to the Rules of Golf?
The Ruling
According to the 2023 Rules of Golf, deliberately stopping a ball in motion incurs a penalty, and a specific procedure must be followed:
Relevant Rules:
Rule 11.2a: Prohibits a player from deliberately deflecting or stopping a ball in motion by any means, including with a club.
Rule 11.2b: Specifies the 'general penalty' and the subsequent procedure.
Rule 14.3: Details the proper procedure for dropping a ball when replacing or substituting.
Penalty and Procedure:
General Penalty:
The player receives the general penalty for deliberately stopping a moving ball:
Stroke play: Two-stroke penalty.
Match play: Loss of hole.
What Happens Next:
The player must not play the ball from where it came to rest after being deliberately stopped.
Instead:
1. The player must estimate where the ball would have come to rest if it had not been stopped.
2. The player must drop a ball within one club-length of that estimated spot, and the drop must not be nearer the hole (Rule 11.2c, Exception 2; Rule 14.3).
3. The player must use the proper dropping procedure as outlined in Rule 14.3.
Key Points:
Deliberately stopping or deflecting a moving ball always results in a penalty.
The spot where the ball came to rest after being stopped is not used for the next stroke.
* This procedure ensures fairness after the deliberate breach of the rule.
Relevant Rules:
Rule 11.2a: Prohibits a player from deliberately deflecting or stopping a ball in motion by any means, including with a club.
Rule 11.2b: Specifies the 'general penalty' and the subsequent procedure.
Rule 14.3: Details the proper procedure for dropping a ball when replacing or substituting.
Penalty and Procedure:
General Penalty:
The player receives the general penalty for deliberately stopping a moving ball:
Stroke play: Two-stroke penalty.
Match play: Loss of hole.
What Happens Next:
The player must not play the ball from where it came to rest after being deliberately stopped.
Instead:
1. The player must estimate where the ball would have come to rest if it had not been stopped.
2. The player must drop a ball within one club-length of that estimated spot, and the drop must not be nearer the hole (Rule 11.2c, Exception 2; Rule 14.3).
3. The player must use the proper dropping procedure as outlined in Rule 14.3.
Key Points:
Deliberately stopping or deflecting a moving ball always results in a penalty.
The spot where the ball came to rest after being stopped is not used for the next stroke.
* This procedure ensures fairness after the deliberate breach of the rule.