If a player’s ball is accidentally deflected or stopped by an opponent, his caddie or his equipment, there is no penalty. The player may, before another stroke is made by either side, cancel the stroke and play a ball without penalty as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5) or he may play the ball as it lies.
However, if the player elects not to cancel the stroke and the ball has come to rest in or on the opponent’s or his caddie’s clothes or equipment, the player must through the green or in a hazard drop the ball, or on the putting green place the ball, as near as possible to where the article was when the ball came to rest in or on it.
Exception: Ball striking person attending or holding up flagstick or anything carried by him — see Rule 17-3b.
(Ball purposely deflected or stopped by opponent or caddie — see Rule 1-2.)
19-4. By Fellow-Competitor, Caddie or Equipment in Stroke Play
See Rule 19-1 regarding ball deflected by outside agency.
Exception: Ball striking person attending or holding up flagstick or anything carried by him — see Rule 17-3b.
19-5. By Another Ball
• a. At Rest
If a player’s ball in motion after a stroke is deflected or stopped by a ball in play and at rest, the player must play his ball as it lies. In match play, there is no penalty. In stroke play, there is no penalty unless both balls lay on the putting green prior to the stroke, in which case the player incurs a penalty of two strokes.
• b. In Motion
If a player’s ball in motion after a stroke is deflected or stopped by another ball in motion after a stroke, the player must play his ball as it lies. There is no penalty unless the player was in breach of Rule 16-1f, in which case he incurs the penalty for breach of that Rule.
Exception: If the player’s ball is in motion after a stroke on the putting green and the other ball in motion is an outside agency — see Rule 19-1b.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:
Match play — Loss of hole; Stroke play — Two strokes.
©USGA, used with permission
