Rule 20. Lifting, Dropping and Placing;
Playing from Wrong Place
Definitions
All defined terms are in italics and are listed alphabetically in
the Definitions section — see pages 5-18.
20-1. Lifting and Marking
A ball to be lifted under the Rules may be lifted by the player,
his partner or another person authorized 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 it is not replaced, the player incurs the general penalty
for breach of this Rule, but there is no additional penalty
under Rule 20-1.
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
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placing a ball-marker, a small coin or other similar object
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.
20-2. Dropping and Re-Dropping
g a. By Whom and How
A ball to be dropped under the Rules must be dropped by the
player himself. He must stand erect, hold the ball at shoulder
height and arm’s length and drop it. If a ball is dropped by any
other person or in any other manner and the error is not corrected
as provided in Rule 20-6, the player incurs a penalty of
one stroke.
If the ball when dropped touches any person or the equipment
of any player before or after it strikes a part of the course and
before it comes to rest, the ball must be re-dropped, without
penalty. There is no limit to the number of times a ball must
be re-dropped in these circumstances.
(Taking action to influence position or movement of ball — see
Rule 1-2.)
g b. Where to Drop
When a ball is to be dropped as near as possible to a specific
spot, it must be dropped not nearer the hole than the specific
spot which, if it is not precisely known to the player, must be
estimated.
A ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course where
the applicable Rule requires it to be dropped. If it is not so
dropped, Rules 20-6 and 20-7 apply.
g c. When to Re-Drop
A dropped ball must be re-dropped, without penalty, if it:
(i) rolls into and comes to rest in a hazard;
(ii) rolls out of and comes to rest outside a hazard;
(iii) rolls onto and comes to rest on a putting green;
(iv) rolls and comes to rest out of bounds;
(v) rolls to and comes to rest in a position where there is
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interference by the condition from which relief was
taken under Rule 24-2b (immovable obstruction), Rule
25-1 (abnormal ground conditions), Rule 25-3 (wrong
putting green) or a Local Rule (Rule 33-8a), or rolls back
into the pitch-mark from which it was lifted under
Rule 25-2 (embedded ball);
(vi) rolls and comes to rest more than two club-lengths
from where it first struck a part of the course; or
(vii) rolls and comes to rest nearer the hole than:
(a) its original position or estimated position (see Rule
20-2b) unless otherwise permitted by the Rules; or
(b) the nearest point of relief or maximum available relief
(Rule 24-2, 25-1 or 25-3); or
(c) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin
of the water hazard or lateral water hazard (Rule 26-1).
If the ball when re-dropped rolls into any position listed above,
it must be placed as near as possible to the spot where it first
struck a part of the course when re-dropped.
Note 1: If a ball when dropped or re-dropped comes to rest and
subsequently moves, the ball must be played as it lies, unless
the provisions of any other Rule apply.
Note 2: If a ball to be re-dropped or placed under this Rule is
not immediately recoverable, another ball may be substituted.
(Use of Dropping Zone — see Appendix I; Part B; Section 8.)
20-3. Placing and Replacing
g a. By Whom and Where
A ball to be placed under the Rules must be placed by the
player or his partner. If a ball is to be replaced, the player, his
partner or the person who lifted or moved it must place it on
the spot from which it was lifted or moved. 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. In any such case, the player is responsible for any other
breach of the Rules that occurs as a result of the placing or
replacing of the ball.
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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 general penalty,
loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play, for a
breach of the applicable Rule.
g b. Lie of Ball to Be Placed or Replaced Altered
If the original lie of a ball to be placed or replaced has been
altered:
(i) except in a hazard, the ball must be placed in the nearest
lie most similar to the original lie that is not more
than one club-length from the original lie, not nearer
the hole and not in a hazard;
(ii) in a water hazard, the ball must be placed in accordance
with Clause (i) above, except that the ball must be
placed in the water hazard;
(iii) in a bunker, the original lie must be re-created as nearly
as possible and the ball must be placed in that lie.
g c. Spot 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 dropped as near as
possible to the place where it lay but not in a hazard or
on a putting green;
(ii) in a hazard, the ball must be dropped in the hazard as
near as possible to the place where it lay;
(iii) on the putting green, the ball must be placed as near as
possible to the place where it lay but not in a hazard.
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Exception: When resuming play (Rule 6-8d), if the spot where
the ball is to be placed is impossible to determine, it must be
estimated and the ball placed on the estimated spot.
g 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 20-1, 20-2 or 20-3:
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.
20-4. When Ball Dropped or Placed Is in Play
If the player’s ball in play has been lifted, it is again in play
when dropped or placed.
A substituted ball becomes the ball in play when it has been
dropped or placed.
(Ball incorrectly substituted — see Rule 15-2.)
(Lifting ball incorrectly substituted, dropped 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 Teeing Ground: The ball to be played must be
played from within the teeing ground. It may be played
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from anywhere within the teeing ground and may be teed.
b. Through the Green: The ball to be played must be
dropped and when dropped must first strike a part of the
course through the green.
c. In a Hazard: The ball to be played must be dropped and
when dropped must first strike a part of the course in the
hazard.
d. On the Putting Green: The ball to be played must be
placed on the putting green.
Penalty for Breach of Rule 20-5:
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.
20-6. Lifting Ball Incorrectly Substituted, Dropped or
Placed
A ball incorrectly substituted, dropped 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
g 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 played or a ball to be dropped or placed; or
(ii) when the Rules require a dropped ball to be re-dropped
or a moved ball to be replaced.
Note: For a ball played from outside the teeing ground or from a
wrong teeing ground — see Rule 11-4.
g b. Match Play
If a player makes a stroke from a wrong place, he loses the hole.
g c. Stroke Play
If a competitor makes a stroke from a wrong place, he incurs a
penalty of two strokes under the applicable Rule. He must play
out the hole with the ball played from the wrong place, withRule
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out correcting his error, provided he has not committed a serious
breach (see Note 1).
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 teeing
ground, 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. The Committee must determine
whether the competitor has committed a serious breach of the
applicable Rule. If he has, the score with the second ball counts
and the competitor must add two penalty strokes to his score with
that ball. If the competitor has committed a serious breach and
has failed to correct it as outlined above, he is disqualified.
Note 1: A competitor is deemed to have committed a serious
breach of the applicable Rule if the Committee considers he has
gained a significant advantage as a result of playing from a
wrong place.
Note 2: 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 3: If a player incurs a penalty for making a stroke from a
wrong place, there is no additional penalty for substituting a
ball when not permitted.
