Being Forced to Mark Your Ball on the Green

mikejohnchapman

mikejohnchapman

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Playing in a 4BBB competition and my partners ball was on the green just past the flag. I was just off the green and chipping when our opposition asked my partner to mark his ball.

He refused and a heated discussion ensued about their right to ask it to be marked. They insisted the rules has been changed some time ago to enable this.

I can understand this being the case if it was their shot - but a blanket right!

Couldn't find anything in the rules / decisions abut this - has anyone come across it before?
 
mikejohnchapman said:
Playing in a 4BBB competition and my partners ball was on the green just past the flag. I was just off the green and chipping when our opposition asked my partner to mark his ball.

He refused and a heated discussion ensued about their right to ask it to be marked. They insisted the rules has been changed some time ago to enable this.

I can understand this being the case if it was their shot - but a blanket right!

Couldn't find anything in the rules / decisions abut this - has anyone come across it before?
Click to expand...

They have every right to ask for a ball to be marked and removed which might assist or interfere with play. The rule has been around for many years.

See this link to Rule 22

http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!rule-22

A refusal in strokeplay to do so would result in a DQ
 
Last edited:
Rule 22-1.

Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that a ball might assist any other player, he may:

a. Lift the ball if it is his ball; or

b. Have any other ball lifted.

A ball lifted under this Rule must be replaced (see Rule 20-3). The ball must not be cleaned, unless it lies on the putting green
(see Rule 21).

In stroke play, a player required to lift his ball may play first rather than lift the ball.

In stroke play, if the Committee determines that competitors have agreed not to lift a ball that might assist any competitor, they are disqualified.

Note: When another ball is in motion, a ball that might influence the movement of the ball in motion must not be lifted.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:
Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.
 
mikejohnchapman said:
Playing in a 4BBB competition and my partners ball was on the green just past the flag. I was just off the green and chipping when our opposition asked my partner to mark his ball.

He refused and a heated discussion ensued about their right to ask it to be marked. They insisted the rules has been changed some time ago to enable this.

I can understand this being the case if it was their shot - but a blanket right!

Couldn't find anything in the rules / decisions abut this - has anyone come across it before?
Click to expand...

[FONT=&quot]Rule 22 - Ball Assisting or Interfering with Play[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://www.usga.org/etc/designs/usga/content/rule-book/rule-book-2016/rule-14253.html[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]All defined terms are in italics and are listed alphabetically in the Definitions section. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]22-1[/FONT][FONT=&quot]. Ball Assisting Play [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that a ball might assist any other player, he may: [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]a. [/FONT][FONT=&quot] Lift the ball if it is his ball; or [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]b. [/FONT][FONT=&quot] Have any other ball lifted. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A ball lifted under this Rule must be replaced (see Rule 20-3). The ball must not be cleaned, unless it lies on the putting green (see Rule 21). [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In stroke play, a player required to lift his ball may play first rather than lift the ball. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In stroke play, if the Committee determines that competitors have agreed not to lift a ball that might assist any competitor, they are disqualified. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Note:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] When another ball is in motion, a ball that might influence the movement of the ball in motion must not be lifted. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]22-2[/FONT][FONT=&quot]. Ball Interfering with Play [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that another ball might interfere with his play, he may have it lifted. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A ball lifted under this Rule must be replaced (see Rule 20-3). The ball must not be cleaned, unless it lies on the putting green (see Rule 21). [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In stroke play, a player required to lift his ball may play first rather than lift the ball. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Note 1:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Except on the putting green, a player may not lift his ball solely because he considers that it might interfere with the play of another player. If a player lifts his ball without being asked to do so, he incurs a penalty of one stroke for a breach of Rule 18-2, but there is no additional penalty under Rule 22. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Note 2:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] When another ball is in motion, a ball that might influence the movement of the ball in motion must not be lifted. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Penalty for Breach of Rule: [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Decision 2/3[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Refusal to Comply with Rule in Match Play[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Q.In a match, A requests B to lift B's ball that is on A's line of play. B refuses to do so. What is the ruling?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A.In equity (Rule 1-4), B loses the hole for failing to comply with A's request to lift his ball under Rule 22-2.[/FONT]
 
Blue in Munich said:
This seems to suggest they have a point;

http://www.barryrhodes.com/2012/08/using-ball-as-backstop.html
Click to expand...

Point...less (copied from the referenced site)

Part of Rule 22-1 states;

Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that a ball might assist any other player, he may: ...
... b. Have any other ball lifted.

So, in match play. if an opponent refuses to lift a ball when requested to do so, the side that made the request should make a claim, following the procedure set out in Rule 2-5, and then play out the hole. The subsequent ruling from the Committee should be that the opponents lost the hole for refusing to lift a ball when requested.

Barry
 
SilH - It is more the point that people have got huffy over such a minor issue. What was friendly about that game if that is the level it was at? Friendly beer and a chat afterwards?
 
If a FC asks me to mark and lift my ball I just do it. I don't ask why or question his motives, I just do what I've been asked. Done. No issue.

So many arguments on here come out of one player questioning what another asks of him on actually quite simple things. And most of the time it's the player being asked not wanting to do what's been asked of him, or wondering why he should - questioning why he's been asked.

See also thread discussing when player asks FCs to mark and lift their balls whilst he is putting; also thread about asking players to move to a different position whilst they play their shot; asking them to move from their standing position by/on the tee; move the flag from where it is lying; move a bag etc etc.
 
Last edited:
Fyldewhite said:
The player wanted to leave the ball there to act as a backstop. How's that a minor issue? It's cheating.
Click to expand...


Wrong way round. I'm knocking the bloke for not marking, not the person who asked for it to be done. Why wouldn't he just mark? I don't get it. That side of things, I can't work people out. Why create animosity?

If the ball was nowhere near the hole and the bloke was being pedantic I would raise an eyebrow but do it, as raised on a recent thread, but this is clearly to make waves. Not why I play the game.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
Wrong way round. I'm knocking the bloke for not marking, not the person who asked for it to be done. Why wouldn't he just mark? I don't get it. That side of things, I can't work people out. Why create animosity?

If the ball was nowhere near the hole and the bloke was being pedantic I would raise an eyebrow but do it, as raised on a recent thread, but this is clearly to make waves. Not why I play the game.
Click to expand...

With you 100%.
 
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