What's the penalty for giving or getting advice in a team competition?

The penalty is the general penalty: two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play. It applies whenever a player gives or asks for advice from a teammate who isn't their partner, or when an advice giver breaks the Local Rule conditions.

When the penalty kicks in

In a team competition, you can only get advice from your partner — the person you're playing the hole with as a side. If you ask a teammate in another group, or a teammate playing the same course but not your partner, that's a breach. Same goes if you offer advice to them. The Committee has to authorize an advice giver through a Local Rule, and that person must be identified before they start helping. If they aren't, any advice they give triggers the penalty.

Advice givers who are also playing

If your team's advice giver is also playing in the competition, they can't give advice while they're playing their own round. During their round they're just another player, so the normal Rule 10.2 restrictions apply. They can resume the advice-giver role only after their round finishes. If they slip up and coach a teammate mid-round, that's the general penalty for the player who got the advice.

What the Committee can change

The Committee can adopt Local Rules that limit who can be an advice giver — for example, only amateurs, or banning them from putting greens. They can also allow two advice givers per team instead of one, or in stroke-play team events where only the team score counts, let teammates in the same group advise each other even if they're not partners. Without those Local Rules, the default restrictions stand and the general penalty applies.

Exceptions that change the answer

• The Committee adopts Model Local Rule H-5 for stroke-play team events → Teammates playing in the same group may give each other advice even if they are not partners.
• The Committee adopts Model Local Rule H-2 → Each team may name two advice givers instead of one.
• A player is playing as partners with a teammate on a side → They may freely ask for and give advice to each other during that round.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as the general penalty for an advice breach?

In stroke play it's two penalty strokes added to the hole where the breach happened. In match play it's loss of the hole where the breach happened.

Can my team captain give me advice during a round?

Only if the Committee has adopted a Local Rule naming them as an advice giver and they were identified to the Committee before the round. Otherwise, any advice from the captain costs you the general penalty.

What if my teammate in another group texts me a club suggestion?

That's a breach. Advice between team members who aren't partners is prohibited whether they're in your group or not. The general penalty applies to the player who received the advice.

If our advice giver is also playing, can they help me between holes?

No. While they're playing their own round, they're treated like any other player and cannot give advice. They can only act as advice giver before or after their round.

Does the penalty apply to the advice giver or the player?

The player who asks for or receives the advice gets the general penalty. The advice giver isn't penalized under Rule 24.4, though the Committee could sanction them separately under the Code of Conduct.