Rules · Tip
When Your Ball Hits Someone or Another Ball
Part of our rules programs. Build a program with it
Under Rule 11.1a, if your moving ball hits a person by accident, there's usually no penalty. That's true even if it hits you or your gear. Just play it from where it stops. There's one key exception. In stroke play, if your ball and another ball were both on the green, and your putt hits that ball, you get two penalty strokes. That's why players mark their balls on the green.
Step by step
- An accidental hit usually has no penalty.
- Play the ball where it stops.
- In stroke play, hitting a ball on the green costs two.
- Only when both balls were on the green.
- Mark your ball when asked.
Why it works
A ball in motion that is deflected by chance is part of the game, so the rules do not punish you for it. You play the ball from where it comes to rest. The exception exists because a putt that strikes another ball on the green can change the result, and a ball left in the line of a putt can be removed by marking it. Marking is how you avoid the two-stroke penalty.
Common mistakes
- You think any ball that hits a person or equipment costs a stroke.Remember that an accidental hit usually has no penalty, so play the ball from where it stops.
- You apply the two-stroke penalty to shots played from off the green.Apply it only in stroke play, and only when both balls were on the green before the stroke.
- You leave your ball on the green in the line of another player's putt.Mark your ball and lift it when asked, then replace it on the same spot.
How you'll know it's working
- You can say in one sentence why an accidental hit off a person or your bag carries no penalty.
- You mark your ball without being reminded whenever it might sit in another player's line.
- You play on calmly from where the ball stops after a deflection, with no replay or penalty added.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practise only the green case: put two balls on a practice green and mark one whenever the other player putts.
Harder: Run a mock stroke-play round on the practice green with several balls and decide on each putt whether a penalty applies.
Common questions
Is there a penalty if my ball hits me or my golf bag?
Usually no. If your moving ball accidentally hits you or your equipment, you play it from where it stops.
What happens if my putt hits another ball on the green?
In stroke play, if both balls were on the green before your stroke, you get a two-stroke penalty. Marking and lifting the other ball avoids this.
