What happens if my ball hits someone?
No penalty if your ball accidentally hits a person, animal, or anything else on the course. You play the ball from where it comes to rest, good or bad. Only deliberate interference gets you in trouble.
When it happens by accident
If your ball in motion strikes another player, a spectator, a bird, a cart, your own bag — anything — and it wasn't on purpose, there's no penalty to anyone. You simply play the ball from where it ends up. That goes for lucky bounces and unlucky ones alike. The rule applies anywhere on the course, after any stroke, and even if the ball is moving after you dropped it (unless it's still settling in a relief area).
When someone does it on purpose
If you — or anyone else — deliberately deflects or stops a ball in motion, that's a breach. For the player who did it, the penalty is two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play. The ball must not be played as it lies; you estimate where it would have come to rest and drop there. If you deliberately position equipment or a person to influence a ball, same penalty.
The one time this rule doesn't apply
Rule 11 covers a ball in motion after a stroke, or after it's been placed, replaced, or dropped and has come to rest. But if you've just dropped a ball in a relief area and it hasn't stopped moving yet — say it's rolling toward a slope — Rule 14.3 takes over. That rule tells you whether to re-drop or place it, not Rule 11.
Exceptions that change the answer
- Ball dropped in a relief area and not yet come to rest → Rule 14.3 applies instead of Rule 11
Frequently asked questions
What if my ball hits another player?
No penalty to anyone. Play your ball from where it comes to rest, even if it bounced off them into a bunker or out of bounds.
What if my ball hits me or my own equipment?
Still no penalty. Play it where it lies. The only exception is if you deliberately positioned your bag or body to stop the ball — then it's two strokes.
What if someone deliberately stops my ball?
They get a two-stroke penalty (loss of hole in match play). You don't play the ball as it lies; you estimate where it would have finished and drop there.
What if my ball hits a bird or animal?
No penalty. Play the ball from where it comes to rest. Animals are treated the same as people or objects under Rule 11.
Does this apply on the putting green too?
Yes. If your putt hits another ball, a person, a flagstick left in the hole — no penalty, play it where it stops. The only difference on the green is if you hit another ball at rest: that ball gets replaced, yours plays as it lies.