Rules · Tip
Balls That Could Help or Get in the Way
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Rule 15.3 covers balls that help or interfere. On the green, if your ball might help someone, like acting as a backstop, you can mark and lift it. You can also ask another player to lift theirs. Never agree to leave a ball there to help. If players agree and someone plays, each one who agreed gets the general penalty. Anywhere on the course, you can ask someone to lift a ball that bothers your stance, swing or line. In stroke play, they can choose to play first.
Step by step
- Lift your ball if it might help someone.
- Never agree to leave a helping ball.
- Ask others to lift a ball that bothers you.
- In stroke play, they may play first.
- Don't lift yours just because you think it's in someone's way.
Why it works
A ball lying near the hole or along a line can change how another player chooses a shot, for example by stopping a ball that would otherwise run past. Rule 15.3 removes that advantage by letting you lift a helping ball or ask for it to be lifted. Banning an agreement to leave it keeps the choice with the rules, not with the players, so nobody gains from a deal.
Common mistakes
- Agreeing to leave a ball on the green as a backstop because it seems friendly.Decline the offer and mark and lift the ball, because every player who agreed gets the general penalty if someone plays.
- Lifting your own ball because you think it is in someone else's way.Wait until the other player asks you, and lift only then.
- Asking for a ball to be lifted without saying why, then playing before it is gone.Tell the player the ball bothers your stance, swing or line, and wait until it is lifted before you play.
How you'll know it's working
- You mark the ball before lifting it, every time, with no hesitation.
- You can say aloud why a ball may be lifted and who decides.
- No one on the green is playing with a ball left there as help.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practice with two balls on a practice green and name each one as helping, bothering or neither before you decide what to do.
Harder: Play a practice round in stroke play with a partner and call out each situation on the spot, including who may play first.
Common questions
Can I leave my ball on the green to help my playing partner?
No. You must not agree to leave a ball there to help, and if you agree and someone plays, each player who agreed gets the general penalty.
Can I ask another player to lift their ball in stroke play?
Yes, on the course you can ask if their ball bothers your stance, swing or line. In stroke play, they may choose to play first instead of lifting.
