Ball near the hole? Why leaving it there can help your friend (and why it's dangerous)
You're on the green. Your ball sits 30 centimetres past the hole, right behind it. Your playing partner is about to hit an approach from 60 metres. If their ball runs long, it could hit yours and stop... leaving them a short putt. What looks like an innocent failure to mark is, in this context, the most dangerous grey area on the putting surface — one the R&A specifically reinforced its guidance on in 2023 because it was appearing with increasing regularity at every level of competition.
Do you leave your ball there as a "backstop"? Or do you mark and lift it?
Welcome to the world of Backstopping, one of the most controversial practices in modern golf.
What is Backstopping?
Backstopping occurs when a player leaves their ball on the green (instead of marking it) so it acts as a backstop or brake for another player's ball.
If the other player's ball hits yours and stops near the hole, they gain an advantage they wouldn't have had if your ball wasn't there.
Is it Legal or Illegal?
The answer is nuanced:
Legal (no prior agreement)
If there's no prior agreement between the players to leave balls as backstops, there's no breach. Each player has the right to decide when to mark their ball and when not to.
In Stroke Play, if a player far from the hole asks another not to mark their ball (hoping it'll serve as a backstop), we're on dangerous ground... but if there's no explicit agreement, it's hard to prove.
Illegal (with agreement)
If the Committee detects that two or more players have a deliberate agreement to help each other through backstopping, the penalty is brutal: disqualification of all players involved.
Rule 1.3b(1) prohibits agreements between players to ignore or waive any rule, and this applies directly to arranged backstopping.
The R&A and USGA Position
Both governing bodies consider backstopping contrary to the spirit of the game. Although they can't penalise a player who "casually" leaves their ball near the hole without prior agreement, they've made it clear that:
- Players should mark their ball when it could serve as a backstop.
- Committees have authority to investigate suspicious patterns.
- Players who deliberately don't mark to benefit a partner risk disqualification.
How Committees Detect Suspected Backstopping
Because individual instances of not marking are almost impossible to sanction without evidence of intent, committees watch for behavioural patterns rather than isolated moments:
- A player consistently fails to mark whenever a partner is approaching from distance, across multiple holes.
- The same pairing benefits repeatedly from the ball stopping close to the hole in circumstances that strain coincidence.
- A player is overheard asking not to be marked — the most direct evidence of a prior agreement.
- Fellow competitors in the group report unusual patterns to the Committee after the round.
In professional play, video replay makes these patterns unmistakable. In amateur strokeplay, fellow-competitor testimony is the primary enforcement mechanism — which is exactly why the rules allow any player on the green to request that a ball be marked, without giving a reason.
The 2023 Emphasis: Marking Your Ball
To combat backstopping, the Rules emphasise that in Stroke Play:
- Any player can ask for a ball to be marked on the green before playing their shot.
- You don't need to give a reason. Simply ask for it to be marked.
- If you're asked to mark and don't, the Committee can intervene.
How to Protect Yourself
- Always mark your ball when another player is about to hit an approach to the green. It's proper etiquette.
- If asked to mark, do it without question.
- Never agree with a partner to leave balls as backstops. Disqualification isn't worth any birdie.
- If your ball is hit by another player's ball, replace it on its original spot (no penalty for either player).
That instinct to restore rather than play on runs through all on-green ball-movement rules: accidentally nudging your own ball while marking or cleaning it is equally penalty-free under Rule 13.1d, provided you return it to the original spot before playing — a rule that catches many golfers off guard the first time it saves them a stroke.
Lazar Tip: Backstopping is one of the greyest areas in the Rules of Golf. If someone asks you to leave your ball as a backstop in a tournament, say no and use the Lazar camera to scan any doubtful situation on the green.