What happens if my ball hits something while it's moving?
No penalty if your ball accidentally hits anything — a person, a squirrel, a cart, your own bag — you just play it from where it stops. If you deliberately try to influence a moving ball, that's two strokes.
Accidental contact — no penalty, play it as it lies
When your ball in motion hits something by accident — another player, their equipment, a bird, a rake, a sprinkler head — there's no penalty. You don't get to replay the shot, and you don't get to move the ball. You accept the result, good or bad, and play your next stroke from where the ball comes to rest. This applies anywhere on the course: fairway, rough, green, even the tee box.
Deliberate interference — two-stroke penalty
If you (or your caddie) deliberately do something to affect where a ball in motion might end up — like placing a club to stop it, moving a towel to deflect it, or telling someone to catch it — you get the general penalty: two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play. The ball still gets played from where it stops unless another rule says otherwise. This also covers asking someone to leave an object in place to help your ball.
When Rule 11 doesn't apply
Rule 11 covers any ball in play that's moving — after a stroke, after it's been dropped and is rolling, or even if it's moved by wind. The only time it doesn't apply is when you've dropped a ball in a relief area and it hasn't come to rest yet. That situation falls under Rule 14.3 instead.
Frequently asked questions
My ball hit another player's bag. Penalty?
No penalty. Play the ball from where it comes to rest. Accidental contact with anything — people, equipment, animals — never carries a penalty under Rule 11.
What if my ball hits me or my own equipment?
Same deal — no penalty, play it as it lies. Your own bag, your cart, your foot, your club — if it's accidental, you just deal with the result.
Can I ask someone to move their bag before I hit?
Yes, you can ask anyone to move their equipment or themselves before you play. But once your ball is in motion, nobody can deliberately move something to help or hurt the outcome — that's a two-stroke penalty.
What if an animal picks up my moving ball?
No penalty. If an animal (bird, dog, etc.) picks up or deflects your ball in motion, you estimate where it would have come to rest and drop a ball there. If it's on the green, you place it.
Does this apply on the putting green too?
Yes. If your putt hits another ball, a flagstick left in the hole, a person, or anything else by accident — no penalty, play it where it stops. The only difference on the green: if your ball hits another ball at rest, that other ball gets replaced.