There are 24 Rules in the current Rules of Golf book, but although the latest revisions in 2019 sought to simplify things in some areas, there’s no doubt that knowing exactly what to do in each and every different scenario you might encounter is still a big ask.
In the video and article below, we look at seven different Rules scenarios that could potentially trip you up, explaining each situation and highlighting how to go about things in a way that will prevent you incurring any penalties or falling foul of any Rules you may not be fully aware of.
1) Trying to find out what club another player has hit
There are important distinctions between what is allowed and what is not here. Under the Rule covering ‘advice’ (10.2) you are not allowed to ask another competitor what club they have just hit (other than your own partner!) but you may look in their bag to either see what club is missing or which one they put back.
There is nothing to stop you looking to see what another player has hit… but you can’t touch anything!
(Image credit: Future)
However, what you can’t do is touch their equipment in the process – so you can’t move a headcover, towel or bag cover to get a better look. That would constitute a breach of Rule 10.2 for which you would get the general penalty (loss of hole in matchplay or two strokes in strokeplay).
2) Backstopping
Backstopping is basically leaving a ball in place on the putting green that could assist another player if their ball were to strike it, thus potentially ending up in a better position than it would have done had it not done so.
In stroke play, if two players agree to leave a ball in place on the putting green that could assist one player, there would be a two-stroke penalty to both parties under Rule 15.3a.
This Rule is in place for shots played from off the green only as, in stroke play, if you make a stroke from on the green that strikes another ball at rest on the green, there is a two-shot penalty – so no-one would want to knowingly risk that anyway.
3) Sprinkler head on your line on the fringe
It’s important to…
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