Rule 14: Marking, lifting and dropping your ball
What this is about
This rule explains how you're allowed to handle your ball correctly. You'll learn when you can mark, lift, clean and replace your ball, or drop it in another spot.
What you need to do
- Marking:
- Before lifting a ball to replace it, mark its spot. Use a ball-marker or a club to do this.
- Remove the marker before you make your next stroke.
- Penalty: One penalty stroke if you don't mark the spot, mark it incorrectly, or leave the marker in place.
- Lifting:
- Only you, or someone with your clear authorization, may lift your ball.
- On the putting green, your caddie may lift your ball without asking.
- Penalty: One penalty stroke if your caddie lifts your ball without authorization.
- Cleaning:
- You may always clean a ball on the putting green (the closely mown grass around the hole).
- Off the putting green, cleaning is usually only allowed if you're replacing the ball.
- Cleaning is limited or not allowed when identifying the ball, checking for damage, or dealing with interference.
- Penalty: One penalty stroke if you clean the ball when not allowed to.
- Replacing:
- Use the same ball and place it back exactly on the marked spot.
- If the original ball can't be found, you may use another ball.
- Dropping:
- If you need to drop a ball, do this from knee height.
- The ball must land and come to rest in the relief area (the area where you're allowed to continue play).
- If you play the ball from a wrong place, you get two penalty strokes in stroke play (where strokes are counted). In match play (two players against each other) you lose the hole.
Common mistake
Many golfers forget that they can't just clean their ball anywhere. If your ball is somewhere other than the putting green, strict rules apply. Cleaning it when you're not allowed to costs you one penalty stroke.
Example
Your ball lies just next to the putting green in the grass. It's covered in mud. You pick it up and clean it completely. You're not allowed to fully clean your ball here. This results in one penalty stroke.
Practise this rule with real exam questions in the free app.
14.1 Marking, lifting and cleaning your ball
14.1a Marking the position of the ball
Before lifting a ball that has to be replaced, you must mark its spot with a ball-marker (or another small object) placed right behind or beside the ball.
14.1b Who may lift the ball
The ball may only be lifted by the player, their caddie, or another person authorized by the player.
14.1c Cleaning your ball
A ball that's been lifted on the putting green may always be cleaned. In other places, you may also clean the ball once it's been lifted, except when it was lifted to check whether it's damaged, to identify it, or because it interferes with play.
14.2 Replacing a ball on a spot
14.2a The original ball must be used
When replacing the ball, you must use the original ball. If the original ball is no longer available (lost, damaged, etc.), you may use another ball.
14.2b Who must replace the ball and how
The ball must be replaced by the player or the person who lifted the ball, by setting the ball down on the right spot.
14.2c What to do if the original spot has changed
If the lie of the ball has changed, the ball must be replaced in the nearest most similar lie within one club-length of the original spot.
14.2d What to do if the replaced ball doesn't stay on its spot
If a replaced ball doesn't stay on its spot, you must try again. If the ball still doesn't stay put, it must be placed at the nearest spot where it will stay at rest.
14.3 Dropping a ball in a dropping zone
14.3a Original ball or another ball
You may drop the original ball or use another ball.
14.3b You must drop the ball correctly
You must drop the ball from knee height, straight down, without throwing, rolling, or placing it. The ball must fall through the air before it touches the ground.
14.3c A ball dropped correctly can be dropped again
If the ball is dropped correctly but comes to rest outside the relief area, you must drop the ball again. If the ball again rolls outside the relief area after a second drop, you must place the ball at the spot where it first touched the ground on the second drop.
14.4 When a player's ball is back in play after dropping
The ball is in play as soon as it touches the ground when dropped.
14.5 Correcting mistakes when replacing, dropping or placing a ball
If a ball has been dropped or replaced in the wrong way or at the wrong place, you may correct the mistake without penalty before making a stroke. Once you've made a stroke, the mistake can no longer be corrected without penalty.
14.6 Playing your next stroke from where the previous stroke was made
When the Rules require a player to replay a stroke from the spot of the previous stroke:
- From the teeing area: the ball may be teed anywhere within the teeing area
- From the general area, a bunker, or the putting green: the ball must be dropped (or placed on the putting green) at the original spot
14.7 Playing from a wrong place
14.7a Place from which the ball must be played
After dropping or replacing the ball, you must play it from the correct relief area or the correct spot. If you play from a wrong place, you get the general penalty.
14.7b How to finish a hole after playing from the wrong place
In stroke play, you must finish the hole with the ball played from the wrong place, unless it's a serious breach. In case of a serious breach, you must correct the mistake by playing from the right place.