What happens if your golf ball hits another player?

No penalty. If your ball in motion accidentally hits another player, their caddie, or anyone else, you play the ball from where it comes to rest (Rule 11.1a). The accidental deflection is a rub of the green — you cannot replay the shot. (Curious what that caddie can do for you? See what advice your caddie can give under Rule 10.3b.)

The rule

Under Rule 11.1a, when a ball in motion accidentally hits a person — another player, their caddie, a referee, or anyone else — there is no penalty to any player. You play the ball from wherever it comes to rest after contact. The same applies if the ball deflects off them and ends up in a better or worse position than you'd otherwise have had. The accidental nature is key — if someone were to deliberately step in front of your ball, that's treated under interference rules, but for any normal on-course collision, no penalty applies.

Real example

Your approach shot hits your playing partner who was standing near the green. The ball deflects into the rough instead of onto the green. No penalty — play your next shot from the rough where the ball came to rest.

What to do on the course

• Check that the other player is okay first — that comes before the rules
• Play from where the ball ended up, no penalty, no replay
• You cannot choose to replay the shot just because the deflection was unlucky
• Always shout "Fore!" for any shot that might reach other people — this is not a rule, but non-negotiable etiquette
• Remember that each player is limited to one caddie at a time (Rule 10.3a(1)); having two caddies helping you during a hole incurs the general penalty per hole — see Can I have two caddies at the same time?

What if your ball hits another ball instead of a person?

Hitting another ball at rest is a different rule — Rule 11.3, not 11.1a. If your ball in motion hits another ball at rest on the green, you play your ball as it lies and the other ball is replaced. Off the green, same thing: play yours as it lies, replace the moved ball. No penalty either way, but you don't get to replay the shot. The key difference: a person is an 'outside influence' under Rule 11.1a; another ball is covered by Rule 11.3 and must be put back where it was.

Keep reading: provisional ball · penalty area · Ready Golf

Exceptions that change the answer

• The player's ball in motion on the putting green hits another ball at rest that was already on the putting green before the stroke. → The player receives a general penalty of two penalty strokes.
• The player plays a ball from off the putting green and it accidentally hits a person, animal, or moving outside influence, and the ball comes to rest on that person, animal, or moving influence (anywhere except the putting green). → The player must not play the ball as it lies; instead, the player must take relief by dropping the original ball.

FAQ

What if my ball hits another player and goes out of bounds?

You play from where the ball came to rest — which is out of bounds. The deflection doesn't cancel the OB; you take stroke-and-distance relief (Rule 18.2). No penalty for hitting the person, but the OB penalty still applies.

What if my ball hits another player's equipment (bag, cart, clubs)?

Same rule — no penalty, play it as it lies (Rule 11.1a). Equipment is treated the same as the person for accidental deflections.

Can I replay the shot if the deflection was really unlucky?

No. Rule 11.1a does not allow a replay for accidental deflections. You must play the ball from where it came to rest.

What if someone deliberately stops or deflects my ball?

That's not an accidental deflection. If a player deliberately stops your ball, they get the general penalty (2 strokes) and you estimate where the ball would have come to rest (Rule 11.2). If an outside influence (spectator, animal) deliberately stops it, you drop at the estimated spot with no penalty (Rule 11.1b).

Does shouting "Fore" change the rule?

No. "Fore" is etiquette, not a rule. Whether you shouted or not, an accidental hit on a person is still no penalty under Rule 11.1a. But you should always shout — it's the right thing to do.

What happens if my ball hits another player's ball on the green?

Play your ball from where it stops. The other player replaces their ball on its original spot (Rule 11.3). No penalty to anyone.

Does it matter if the person hit was a referee or marshal?

No. Rule 11.1a treats referees, marshals, and spectators the same as playing partners — accidental hit, no penalty, play it as it lies.

What if my ball hits a spectator and bounces into a penalty area?

No penalty for hitting the person. You take penalty-area relief (Rule 17) from where the ball entered, adding one stroke for the penalty area — not for the deflection.

In match play, does hitting my opponent change anything?

Same rule. No penalty, play the ball as it lies. The only match-play difference is your opponent can concede the next stroke or hole afterward — the deflection itself doesn't alter the rule.