What happens if the ball rolls after dropping it?
If your dropped ball rolls out of the relief area, you re-drop once under Rule 14.3c. If it rolls out again, you place the ball at the exact spot where the second drop first hit the ground — no penalty for either re-drop or placement.
The situation
You drop the ball correctly from knee height, it lands in the relief area, but then rolls several feet and ends up outside the relief area boundary. Do you have to drop again?
The rule
Under Rule 14.3c, if the ball rolls outside the relief area after a correct drop, you must re-drop. Drop a second time. If the ball rolls out of the relief area a second time, you do not drop again — instead, you place the ball at the spot where it first touched the ground on that second drop. The ball is placed at that exact point and played from there, even if that point is at the very edge of the relief area. If you place it and it won't stay, you place it at the nearest spot within one club length where it will stay.
For a deeper dive on the two-drop-then-place procedure, its exceptions (penalty area, putting green, deliberate deflection), and detailed FAQs, see what happens if your dropped ball comes to rest outside the relief area.
Real example
You're taking free relief from a cart path. First drop lands in the relief area but rolls out. Re-drop — it rolls out again. Place the ball at the spot where your second drop first hit the ground. If that spot is at the edge of the fairway, that's where you play from.
What to do on the course
- First drop rolls out: re-drop once
- Second drop rolls out: place the ball at the spot the second drop first landed
- If you can't determine exactly where the second drop first touched, estimate as accurately as possible
- After placing, if the ball won't stay still at that point, place it at the nearest spot within one club length where it will remain at rest — this follows the same principle as when a replaced ball won't stay on its spot (Rule 14.2e), covered in what to do when your replaced ball won't stay put
Penalty
No penalty for re-dropping or placing after a ball that rolls out of the relief area.
What if the ball rolls into a penalty area or bunker?
If your dropped ball rolls out of the relief area and into a penalty area or bunker, the same Rule 14.3c procedure applies — you re-drop once, then place at the second drop's landing spot if it rolls out again. The ball's new location (penalty area, bunker, etc.) doesn't change the relief procedure; you're still taking relief from the original condition. However, if the placed ball ends up in a penalty area, you play it as it lies or take penalty-area relief under Rule 17 with a one-stroke penalty. The key point: the re-drop/place sequence is mandatory before you assess where the ball finally rests.
Keep reading: penalty area
Exceptions that change the answer
- the estimated spot of the ball is in a penalty area → the player is not required to take relief under this Rule, but may directly take relief from the penalty area under Rule 17.1d
- the ball would have come to rest on the putting green → the player must place the original ball or another ball on the estimated spot where the ball would have come to rest
- the ball would have come to rest out of bounds → the player must take stroke-and-distance relief under Rule 18.2
- the dropped ball is deliberately deflected or stopped by any person before it comes to rest → see Rule 14.3d for what to do
- the ball comes to rest outside the relief area after being dropped in the right way → the player must drop a ball in the right way a second time
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to re-drop if my ball rolls out of the relief area after a correct drop?
Yes, Rule 14.3c requires you to re-drop once if the ball rolls outside the relief area after a correct drop. The re-drop is also made from knee height into the same relief area.
What happens if the ball rolls out of the relief area on the second drop too?
If the second drop also rolls out of the relief area, you do not drop again — you place the ball at the exact spot where that second drop first touched the ground. That spot becomes the ball's final position even if it's at the edge of the relief area.
Is there a penalty for re-dropping or placing the ball after it rolls out?
No, there is no penalty for re-dropping or for placing the ball after it rolls out of the relief area. The procedure in Rule 14.3c is penalty-free as long as you follow the correct steps.
Where exactly do I place the ball after the second drop rolls out?
You place the ball at the precise point where the second drop first struck the ground, not where it came to rest. If you cannot determine the exact spot, estimate it as accurately as possible.
What if the ball won't stay at rest when I place it at that spot?
If the placed ball will not stay at rest at that spot, you must place it at the nearest spot within one club-length where it will remain at rest, no closer to the hole. This follows the same principle as placing on a putting green.
Can I clean my ball when I re-drop after it rolls out of the relief area?
Yes. Whenever you're dropping or re-dropping under Rule 14.3, you may clean the ball before each drop. This applies to both the first re-drop and the placement after the second drop rolls out.
What if I accidentally drop in the wrong relief area and the ball rolls out?
If you dropped in the wrong relief area, the drop doesn't count. You must correct the error by dropping in the right relief area — no penalty for the wrong drop, but you start the procedure over correctly. Rule 14.5 covers correcting a wrong place.
Does the ball have to stay in the relief area after I place it on the second drop's landing spot?
Yes. Once placed at the exact spot where the second drop first hit the ground, the ball must stay there. If it won't stay at rest at that spot, you place it at the nearest spot within one club-length where it will remain at rest, no closer to the hole.