Ball at rest moved accidentally
The Rules of Golf are sometimes misinterpreted, particularly when aspects of the Rules change over time and some players either fail to get the memo or simply revert to what they’ve done previously. In recent times, one Rule that seems to have been a noticeable casualty of frequent misunderstanding has been Rule 9.4, which covers the movement of your own ball at rest.
In our April edition’s Rules quiz, we ran a photo of a player dropping his towel accidentally on his ball causing it to move. One reader questioned whether the player should have incurred a one-stroke penalty as they believed such accidental movement did not attract a penalty and the ball was to simply be replaced back to its original position.
Anecdotally, this is an interpretation we have come across a number of times, suggesting that it may be one of golf’s more misinterpreted Rules.
However, the default position in the Rules of Golf regarding movement of your own ball at rest by you, your playing partner or either of your caddies is still that there is a penalty, whether or not the movement is accidental. The confusion has perhaps arisen from the fact that there are now more exceptions to this default position than there were previously under the Rules.
It is important to remember that there is now no penalty when the player accidentally causes their ball to move while searching for it and trying to find or identify it, or when the player accidentally causes the ball to move on the putting green (these are covered under the Exceptions to Rule 9.4b). In both scenarios, you must simply replace the ball to its original position before playing, estimating that spot to the best of your ability if it is not known exactly.
There is also no penalty when the player accidentally causes the ball to move anywhere else on the course while taking reasonable actions to apply a Rule. This covers situations where a ball is accidentally moved when perhaps removing a movable obstruction, taking relief under a Rule, or measuring out a relief area.
However, if you move your ball anywhere else on the course other than the putting green – so in the general area, bunkers or penalty areas – there is still a one-stroke penalty and you must replace the ball before playing it.
This should serve as a timely reminder to take extra care around your own golf ball at all times, as dropping something on it, kicking it accidentally, letting your bag fall on it on a windy day or carelessly clipping it on a practice swing will all result in a one-stroke penalty.
“THERE IS STILL A ONESTROKE PENALTY AND YOU MUST REPLACE THE BALL”