Irritating Golf Rules

[Red_Eyes]

I am still fairly new and prone to moments of dumbness.

But...

I am now confused over this touching the sand on the backswing, I believed it is a penalty.

I viewed a video on the R&A Rules of golf website, Rule 13-4 playing th e ball as it lies. The video shows Nick Faldo playing a ball out of the water hazard. On his backswing he touches the water. He is penalised 2 shots.

As I understand it there is no distinction between water and sand (reading rule 13-4).

the rule contains the folling note:

Note: At any time, including at address or in the backward movement for the stroke, the player may touch, with a club or otherwise, any obstruction, any construction declared by the Committee to be an integral part of the course or any grass, bush, tree or other growing thing.

 

[viscount17]

The penalty is for breach of 13-4 a, b or c. What follows are exceptions to this rule that are not penalised.
The note does not refer to sand or water.

Also I've watched the video - where does it say he's penalised?

 

[Red_Eyes]

If you go direct to the videos via the title bar at the top and hover your mouse over the video. To quote the text:

Nick Faldo at Cran-Sur-Sierre in 1997 plays a fantastic shot out of a water hazard on to the putting green. However, Faldo’s club touched the water when he made his backswing for the stroke in breach of Rule 13-4b. As this was a stroke play competition, the player incurred a penalty of two strokes.

HTH