Lifting ball to prevent collision

[TomScht]

You are on the green with your ball when another player chips and the ball is headed right toward yours.  Is there a penalty for lifting your ball to prevent a collision? 

Similarly, if the chipped ball is headed toward you, are you obligated to move out of the way?  If you don't, and it hits your shoe or maybe a wedge you had laid on the green, is there a penalty involved?

[Mr. Bean]

17 minutes ago, TomScht said:

You are on the green with your ball when another player chips and the ball is headed right toward yours.  Is there a penalty for lifting your ball to prevent a collision? 

Similarly, if the chipped ball is headed toward you, are you obligated to move out of the way?  If you don't, and it hits your shoe or maybe a wedge you had laid on the green, is there a penalty involved?

 

Rule 11.3 Exception, 2nd bullet point:

 

 

Exception – Moving Flagstick, Ball at Rest on Putting Green and Player Equipment: This Rule does not prohibit a player from lifting or moving:

• A removed flagstick,
• A ball at rest on the putting green (see Rules 9.4, 9.5 and 14.1 for whether a penalty applies), or

 

No penalty for not removing Movable Obstructions. Deliberate actions of not moving or moving in order to affect the ball in motion result in penalty, see R 11.2.

Edited July 15 by Mr. Bean

[davep043]

9 hours ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

Rule 11.3 Exception, 2nd bullet point:

 

 

Exception – Moving Flagstick, Ball at Rest on Putting Green and Player Equipment: This Rule does not prohibit a player from lifting or moving:

• A removed flagstick,
• A ball at rest on the putting green (see Rules 9.4, 9.5 and 14.1 for whether a penalty applies), or

 

No penalty for not removing Movable Obstructions. Deliberate actions of not moving or moving in order to affect the ball in motion result in penalty, see R 11.2.

We should add, there's no Penalty for lifting your ball, but there IS a penalty if you don't mark the spot before you lift it.

[antip]

On 7/16/2025 at 8:22 AM, davep043 said:

We should add, there's no Penalty for lifting your ball, but there IS a penalty if you don't mark the spot before you lift it.

And the good news is from 2023 the Rule now points to that by affirming the potential role of 14.1.

[Colin L]

On 7/15/2025 at 1:23 PM, TomScht said:

You are on the green with your ball when another player chips and the ball is headed right toward yours.  Is there a penalty for lifting your ball to prevent a collision? 

Similarly, if the chipped ball is headed toward you, are you obligated to move out of the way?  If you don't, and it hits your shoe or maybe a wedge you had laid on the green, is there a penalty involved?

For the answer to your second question, see Rules 11.2a and 11.2b

 

If your non-action is deliberate with the intention of stopping or deflecting the ball in motion and the ball does hit you, you get the general penalty and the player whose ball it is plays from where it is estimated the ball would have ended up had it not been stopped or deflected.

[davep043]

13 hours ago, antip said:

And the good news is from 2023 the Rule now points to that by affirming the potential role of 14.1.

This brings another thing to mind, in Stroke Play you can lift another Player's ball without marking it.  As far as you are concerned, any other ball is a Moveable Obstruction, and may be moved per 15.2a(1).  From the standpoint of the Player whose ball you've moved, you are an Outside Influence, so he should replace the ball per 9.6.  14.2 tells us that either you (the person who lifted it) or he (the Player) must replace the ball.

[Mr. Bean]

3 hours ago, davep043 said:

This brings another thing to mind, in Stroke Play you can lift another Player's ball without marking it.  As far as you are concerned, any other ball is a Moveable Obstruction, and may be moved per 15.2a(1).  From the standpoint of the Player whose ball you've moved, you are an Outside Influence, so he should replace the ball per 9.6.  14.2 tells us that either you (the person who lifted it) or he (the Player) must replace the ball.

 

It is also good to remember that is a player gives permission to another player to lift his ball he is responsible for any breaches that other player should be guilty of, such as not marking the spot before lifting. At least this is what I remember having read in the Rules.

[davep043]

3 hours ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

It is also good to remember that is a player gives permission to another player to lift his ball he is responsible for any breaches that other player should be guilty of, such as not marking the spot before lifting. At least this is what I remember having read in the Rules.

I agree.  I'm thinking more of a case where the "other" ball is already in motion, with little or no time to get permission, so the player lifting that ball isn't acting as an "agent" of the ball's owner.  Its an interesting inconsistency in the Rules.  On one hand, a ball may be lifted by the Player or someone he authorizes (and a Partner, and the Caddie in some circumstances), but there's no Penalty in Stroke Play for lifting another Player's ball without authorization.

[TomScht]

Weird.  So you are on the green when you see another player chip and his ball is going to collide with one resting on the green.  If the resting ball is not yours, you may lift it without permission or penalty. However, if the resting ball is yours, unless you mark it you will incur a penalty for lifting it.

[Colin L]

3 hours ago, TomScht said:

Weird.  So you are on the green when you see another player chip and his ball is going to collide with one resting on the green.  If the resting ball is not yours, you may lift it without permission or penalty. However, if the resting ball is yours, unless you mark it you will incur a penalty for lifting it.

It is entirely consistent with Rules 9.6 and 9.4b
 

Do note, however, that it is different in match play where you get a penalty for touching or lifting your opponent's ball.

Edited July 18 by Colin L

[antip]

3 hours ago, Colin L said:

It is entirely consistent with Rules 9.6 and 9.4b
 

Do note, however, that it is different in match play where you get a penalty for touching or lifting your opponent's ball.

Unless the opponent made a request. And if they did make the request and you fail to mark, the opponent has breached 14.1  and is subject to that one stroke penalty.
 

[davep043]

4 hours ago, Colin L said:

It is entirely consistent with Rules 9.6 and 9.4b
 

Do note, however, that it is different in match play where you get a penalty for touching or lifting your opponent's ball.

And in Match Play, you can require a Opponent to mark and lift their ball.  Or you can choose not to do so, if you think their ball might help you.  Playing or being a referee for match play is quite different from Stroke play.