What if someone deliberately stops my ball in Maximum Score when I can't make the max?

No penalty for anyone. In Maximum Score, once you've reached the maximum score for the hole, the hole is over — so if someone deliberately stops your ball at that point, Rule 11.2 doesn't apply and you simply record the maximum score (Rule 21.2d).

Why Rule 11.2 is switched off here

Normally, if someone deliberately stops your ball in motion, they get the general penalty (two strokes in stroke play) and you have to estimate where the ball would have finished and play from there. But Maximum Score is different: the hole ends the moment your score hits the cap set by the Committee — two times par, a fixed number, or net double bogey. At that point there's no "where the ball would have gone" that matters, because the score is already locked in at the maximum.

What actually happens on the green

Say the max is 8 and you've just putted for 9. The ball is rolling past the hole, a spectator (or your opponent) catches it. Because you'd already passed the maximum, the hole was technically complete the instant you made that 9th stroke. Rule 21.2d says Rule 11.2 does not apply, so nobody gets penalised and you don't have to replace the ball or replay anything. You just write down the maximum score (or leave the scorecard blank/enter any number at or above the max) and move to the next tee.

The only catch

The exception only kicks in when the hole is already decided — meaning your score has reached the maximum. If you're still under the cap and someone deliberately stops your ball, Rule 11.2 applies in full: two-stroke penalty to the person who stopped it, and you must estimate the spot where the ball would have come to rest and play from there. So the "free pass" only exists once the maximum is in the bag.

Exceptions that change the answer

• Your score has NOT yet reached the maximum for the hole → Rule 11.2 applies normally — the person who deliberately stopped the ball gets the general penalty (two strokes) and you must estimate where the ball would have come to rest and play from there.

Frequently asked questions

Does the person who stopped my ball get a penalty?

No — not if you'd already reached the maximum score. Rule 21.2d explicitly says Rule 11.2 does not apply in that situation, so there's no penalty for deliberately stopping the ball.

Do I have to replace the ball and finish the hole?

No. The hole was already complete the moment your stroke count hit the maximum. You simply record the maximum score (or leave the scorecard blank/enter any number at or above the max) and move on.

What if I was putting for a score UNDER the maximum and someone stopped my ball?

Then Rule 11.2 applies in full: the person who stopped it gets two penalty strokes, and you must estimate where the ball would have come to rest and play from there.

Can I still choose to hole out even after reaching the maximum?

You can, but it doesn't change your score — the maximum is the maximum. If someone stops your ball while you're putting just for fun after the hole is decided, Rule 11.2 still doesn't apply because the hole was already complete.

What do I write on the scorecard?

Either leave the hole blank or write any number at or above the maximum. The Committee will adjust it to the official maximum when they process the card.