Lifting Wrong Ball

[mikejohnchapman]

Whilst playing in a team event I walked up to my ball and lifted it to clean it (we are still using winter rules).

Unfortunately it wasn't my ball - my only defence being both were marked with 2 blue dots. I replaced the ball on the original spot but wasn't sure if it was a penalty. We decided that as it was a team event and we were on the same side it wasn't - were we correct?

Would this be true it we had been playing singles?

 

[jim8flog]

.

 

[rulefan]

You say it was a team event. Were you playing as partners (in a better ball match or competition) or as independent single players albeit on the same team?

 

[Colin L]

Speak up, Jim.

Mike, what do mean by its being a team event?

Anyway, there is no penalty for lifting another player's ball in stroke play.
There is a one stroke penalty in match play for lifting or deliberately touching your opponent's ball in play except during a search.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

It was a bowmaker competition - team of 4 with 2 scores to count per hole.

 

[Colin L]

It was a bowmaker competition - team of 4 with 2 scores to count per hole.

The four of you weren't actually a team. You were a side comprising 4 partners with the best two scores combining to be the side's score for a hole.
A team event would involve a number of individuals or sides each contributing their score to a team total in competition against another team or teams.

A player in a side is responsible for anything done to his ball by his partner just as if he had done it himself. [See 23.5b] In this instance, he would get any penalty arising from your lifting his ball. I can't answer whether there would be a penalty without knowing what rule you lifted it under. If it was the preferred lies local rule, there would be no penalty as there is no requirement to mark the ball before lifting. If it was the lift, clean and replace local rule, there would be a one stroke penalty to your partner for not marking (you are required to mark a ball before lifting it if it has to be replaced.)

 

[duncan mackie]

The four of you weren't actually a team. You were a side comprising 4 partners with the best two scores combining to be the side's score for a hole.
A team event would involve a number of individuals or sides each contributing their score to a team total in competition against another team or teams.

A player in a side is responsible for anything done to his ball by his partner just as if he had done it himself. [See 23.5b] In this instance, he would get any penalty arising from your lifting his ball. I can't answer whether there would be a penalty without knowing what rule you lifted it under. If it was the preferred lies local rule, there would be no penalty as there is no requirement to mark the ball before lifting. If it was the lift, clean and replace local rule, there would be a one stroke penalty to your partner for not marking (you are required to mark a ball before lifting it if it has to be replaced.)

Just to add, if it were lift clean and place then as Colin posted but with the addition that if the other player then lifted it again there would be a penalty under the local rule because you may only do it once, and you already did it (for him)

 

[mikejohnchapman]

The four of you weren't actually a team. You were a side comprising 4 partners with the best two scores combining to be the side's score for a hole.
A team event would involve a number of individuals or sides each contributing their score to a team total in competition against another team or teams.

A player in a side is responsible for anything done to his ball by his partner just as if he had done it himself. [See 23.5b] In this instance, he would get any penalty arising from your lifting his ball. I can't answer whether there would be a penalty without knowing what rule you lifted it under. If it was the preferred lies local rule, there would be no penalty as there is no requirement to mark the ball before lifting. If it was the lift, clean and replace local rule, there would be a one stroke penalty to your partner for not marking (you are required to mark a ball before lifting it if it has to be replaced.)

Thanks for the clarification.