What happens if I deliberately move a loose impediment while my ball is rolling?
Yes, there's a penalty. If you deliberately remove a loose impediment (or a movable obstruction) while any ball is in motion to affect where it might stop, you get the general penalty — two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play — even if your action doesn't actually change where the ball ends up (Rule 11.3).
What counts as a breach
Rule 11.3 kicks in the moment you deliberately take action to influence a ball that's still moving. That includes picking up a loose impediment like a leaf, twig, or stone, or moving a movable obstruction like a rake or towel, if your purpose is to affect where the ball — yours or anyone else's — might come to rest. It also covers altering physical conditions: pressing down turf, replacing a divot, or anything listed in Rule 8.1a. The key word is "deliberately." If you accidentally kick a pine cone while walking, that's not a breach. But if you reach out and grab it because you think it might stop or deflect the ball, you've broken the rule.
How Rule 11.3 differs from Rules 11.1 and 11.2
| Rule | Situation | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| 11.1 | Ball in motion accidentally hits person, animal, or outside influence | No penalty (play as it lies) |
| 11.2 | Player deliberately deflects or stops a ball in motion | General penalty |
| 11.3 | Player deliberately removes loose impediment / movable obstruction / alters conditions to affect a moving ball | General penalty |
Rule 11.3 is distinct because the breach is the act of removal or alteration with intent, not the deflection itself. You don't need to touch the ball — just the impediment or obstruction — and the penalty applies even if the ball was already past the object or never would have reached it.
The outcome doesn't matter
This is the part that catches people out. You get the general penalty even if your action has zero effect on the ball. Maybe the ball was already past the impediment, or it stops nowhere near it. Doesn't matter. Rule 11.3/1 makes it explicit: the breach is the deliberate act with that intent, not the result. In stroke play you add two strokes and play the ball where it lies. In match play you lose the hole.
Exceptions that change the answer
- You move a removed flagstick, a ball at rest on the putting green, or any player's equipment (except a ball at rest off the green or a ball-marker anywhere) → Rule 11.3 does not apply — those are covered by other rules (Rules 9.4, 9.5, 13.2, 14.1) and have their own penalty structures
Frequently asked questions
What if I remove a loose impediment near my ball but it's not moving?
That's fine — Rule 15.1a lets you remove loose impediments anywhere when your ball is at rest. Rule 11.3 only applies while a ball is in motion.
My ball is rolling back down a slope toward a divot. Can I press the divot down?
No. Deliberately altering the ground — pressing a divot, smoothing turf, anything in Rule 8.1a — while a ball is moving to affect where it stops is a breach of Rule 11.3. General penalty.
What if my caddie does it without me asking?
Same penalty. In stroke play your caddie's deliberate action to affect a moving ball is treated as yours. In foursomes or four-ball, either partner's action counts for the side (Rules 22.2, 23.5).
I moved a rake because I thought a rolling ball might hit it. Penalty?
Yes. A rake is a movable obstruction. Deliberately moving it while a ball is in motion to affect where that ball stops breaches Rule 11.3 — general penalty, even if the ball misses it entirely.
What's the penalty in a Stableford competition?
General penalty still applies — you get zero points for the hole (the equivalent of two strokes over your score). The competition format doesn't change the rule.