Rule 11: Your ball hits something along the way: what now?
What this is about
This rule explains what happens if your ball in motion accidentally hits something or someone. It also prohibits deliberately influencing your ball in motion.
What you need to do
In most cases, you get no penalty if your ball in motion accidentally hits something. You simply play the ball from its new spot.
There are some important exceptions:
- On the putting green, your stroke hits another ball at rest: You get two penalty strokes. You play your ball from where it lies. This only applies in stroke play.
- Your ball comes to rest *on* a person, animal or moving object:
- *Not on the putting green:* You must drop the ball. Choose a spot one club-length from the estimated point directly below where the ball came to rest. This spot may be no closer to the hole, so either the same distance or further away. The spot must also be in the same area of the course.
- *On the putting green:* You must place the ball back at the estimated point directly below where it came to rest.
- Your ball played from the putting green hits a person (other than the person holding the flagstick or yourself).
- Or it hits a movable obstruction, other than a club, ball-marker, ball at rest or flagstick.
- Or it hits an animal, other than a small insect.
- In these cases, you must replay the stroke from the original spot. If you don't, you get two penalty strokes and the stroke still counts.
Common mistake
A common mistake is thinking that you always get a penalty if your ball hits someone. Usually there's no penalty if it was accidental. Only if you play from the putting green and hit a ball *at rest* do you get two penalty strokes.
Example
You hit your second stroke toward the green. The ball arrives hard and hits your fellow player's bag standing at the side. The ball changes direction and rolls into the bunker. This was an accident, so you get no penalty. You play the ball from the bunker.
Practise this rule with real exam questions in the free app.
11.1 Ball in motion accidentally hits person or outside influence
11.1a No penalty for a player
If a ball in motion accidentally hits a person (including the player themselves), the player's equipment, an animal, or another outside influence, there's no penalty. The ball must be played as it lies, except when the ball was played from the putting green and hits another ball on the putting green (in that case, the stroke is canceled and the ball must be replayed).
11.1b Ball must be played as it lies
If a ball in motion comes to rest somewhere by accident, you must play the ball as it lies. Exception: if a ball played from the putting green hits another ball on the putting green, the original stroke must be replayed. In stroke play, this results in a two-stroke penalty for the player.
11.2 Ball in motion intentionally deflected or stopped by a person
11.2a When Rule 11.2 applies
This rule applies when it's reasonably certain that a ball in motion has been deliberately deflected or stopped by a person. This applies regardless of whether the ball is affected by the player themselves, their opponent, or someone else.
11.2b Where the ball must be played
If a ball is deliberately deflected or stopped, an estimate is made of where the ball would have come to rest if it hadn't been deflected or stopped, and the ball is placed or dropped at that estimated spot.
11.3 Deliberately moving objects or altering conditions to influence a ball in motion
If a player deliberately moves an object or alters a condition to influence the result of a stroke already made, he gets the general penalty.