Wednesday, 29 May 2013

Simpler Rules: Rule 20

Rule 20: Lifting and Placing; Playing from Wrong Place
 
20-1. Lifting and Marking
A ball to be lifted under the Rules may be lifted by the player, his partner or another person authorised by the player. In any such case, the player is responsible for any breach of the Rules. 

The position of the ball must be marked before it is lifted under a Rule that requires it to be replaced. If it is not marked, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke and the ball must be replaced.  

If a ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved in the process of lifting the ball under a Rule or marking its position, the ball or ball-marker must be replaced. There is no penalty, provided the movement of the ball or ball-marker is directly attributable to the specific act of marking the position of or lifting the ball. Otherwise, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke under this Rule or Rule 18-2a. 

Exception: If a player incurs a penalty for failing to act in accordance with Rule 5-3 or 12-2, there is no additional penalty under Rule 20-1. 

Note: The position of a ball to be lifted should be marked by placing a ball-marker immediately behind the ball. If the ball-marker interferes with the play, stance or stroke of another player, it should be placed one or more clubhead-lengths to one side. 

*PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 20-1: Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.
 

20-2 Dropping and Re-Dropping
Dropping a ball is not a procedure applicable under these rules.
 

20-3. Placing and Replacing
a. By Whom and Where
A ball to be placed must be placed by the player or his partner.

A ball to be replaced must be placed on the spot from which it was lifted or moved by:
(i)       the person who lifted or moved the ball;
(ii)     the player; or 
(iii)    the player’s partner.
If the ball is placed or replaced by any other person and the error is not corrected as provided in Rule 20-6, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke and the player is responsible for any other breach of the Rules that occurs as a result of the placing or replacing of the ball. 

If a ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved in the process of placing or replacing the ball, the ball or ball-marker must be replaced. There is no penalty, provided the movement of the ball or ball-marker is directly attributable to the specific act of placing or replacing the ball or removing the ball-marker. Otherwise, the player incurs a penalty of one stroke under Rule 18-2a or 20-1. 

If a ball to be replaced is placed other than on the spot from which it was lifted or moved and the error is not corrected as provided in Rule 20-6, the player incurs the penalty of loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play. 

b. Lie of Ball to be Placed or Replaced Altered
Other than on the tee, if the original lie of a ball to be placed or replaced has been altered the ball must be placed at the nearest position to which the ball originally lay, not nearer the hole, which avoids damage to the lie created by the playing of the previous stroke by the player or a stroke by any other player. 

If the ball was originally played from the tee, a ball may be played from anywhere on the tee and may be re-teed.  

Exception: If the player is searching for or identifying a ball covered by sand – see Rule 12-1a.

c. Original Position Not Determinable
If it is impossible to determine the spot where the ball is to be placed or replaced: 

(i)    through the green, the ball must be placed at its estimated previous position but not in a hazard or on a putting green;  

(ii)   in a hazard, the ball must be placed in the hazard at its estimated previous position;  

(iii)  on the putting green, the ball must be placed at its estimated previous position but not in a hazard. 
 

d. Ball Fails to Come to Rest on Spot
If a ball when placed fails to come to rest on the spot on which it was placed, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced. If it still fails to come to rest on that spot: 

(i)    except in a hazard, it must be placed at the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole and not in a hazard;  

(ii)   in a hazard, it must be placed in the hazard at the nearest spot where it can be placed at rest that is not nearer the hole. 

If a ball when placed comes to rest on the spot on which it is placed, and it subsequently moves, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies, unless the provisions of any other Rule apply. 

*PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 20-3: Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

*If a player makes a stroke at a ball substituted under Rules 20-1 or 20-3 when such substitution is not permitted, he incurs the general penalty for breach of that Rule, but there is no additional penalty under that Rule. If a player’s ball has been put into play by a person not permitted by the Rules and then played from a wrong place, see Note 3 to Rule 20-7c.
 

20-4. When Ball Placed is in Play
If the player’s ball in play has been lifted, it is again in play when it has been replaced and the marker has been removed. 

A substituted ball becomes the ball in play when it has been placed. 

(Ball incorrectly substituted – see Rule 15-2) 

(Lifting ball incorrectly substituted or placed – see Rule 20-6)
 

20-5. Making Next Stroke from Where Previous Stroke Made
When a player elects or is required to make his next stroke from where a previous stroke was made, he must proceed as follows: 

(a)   On the Tee: The ball to be played must be played from within the tee. It may be played from anywhere within the tee and may be teed.  

(b)   Through the Green: The ball to be played must be placed through the green, at the nearest point to which the ball originally lay, not nearer the hole.  

(c)   In a Hazard: The ball to be played must be placed in the hazard, at the nearest point to which the ball originally lay, not nearer the hole.  

(d)   On the Putting Green: The ball to be played must be placed on the putting green, at the nearest point to which the ball originally lay, not nearer the hole.  

Note: If the previous lie has been altered, Rule 20-3b applies. 

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 20-5:
Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.
 

20-6. Lifting Ball Incorrectly Substituted or Placed
A ball incorrectly substituted or placed in a wrong place or otherwise not in accordance with the Rules but not played may be lifted, without penalty, and the player must then proceed correctly.
 

20-7. Playing from Wrong Place
a. General
A player has played from a wrong place if he makes a stroke at his ball in play: 

(i)    on a part of the course where the Rules do not permit a stroke to be made or a ball to be placed; or  

(ii)   when the Rules require a moved ball to be replaced.  

Note: For a ball played from outside the tee or from a wrong tee – see Rule 11-4. 

b. Match Play
If a player makes a stroke from a wrong place, he loses the hole. 

c. Stroke Play
If a competitor makes a stroke from a wrong place, he incurs a penalty of two strokes. He must play out the hole with the ball played from the wrong place, without correcting his error, provided he has not committed a serious breach. 

If a competitor becomes aware that he has played from a wrong place and believes that he may have committed a serious breach, he must, before making a stroke on the next tee, play out the hole with a second ball played in accordance with the Rules. If the hole being played is the last hole of the round, he must declare, before leaving the putting green, that he will play out the hole with a second ball played in accordance with the Rules. 

If the competitor has played a second ball, he must report the facts to the Committee before returning his score card. If he fails to do so, he is disqualified from the competition. 

In par and Stableford competition, the player is disqualified from the hole at which the breach occurred. 

Note 1: If a competitor plays a second ball under Rule 20-7c and it is ruled not to count, strokes made with that ball and penalty strokes incurred solely by playing that ball are disregarded. If the second ball is ruled to count, the stroke made from the wrong place and any strokes subsequently taken with the original ball including penalty strokes incurred solely by playing that ball are disregarded. 

Note 2: If a player incurs a penalty for making a stroke from a wrong place, there is no additional penalty for:

(a)   substituting a ball when not permitted; or  

(b)   a ball being put into play by a person not permitted to do so under the Rules.
 
 
 
 

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