- 31/05/2025
In this video, Neil Tappin is joined by rules guru Jeremy Ellwood to look at some of the most surprising golf rules. For one reason or another these are all rules that golfers sometimes get wrong or don't fully understand. Neil and Jeremy explain exactly what they are and how to proceed in each of these scenarios. Whether you're a regular golfer or just getting started these 7 rules are all well worth knowing.
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00:00Hello everyone, Neil Taplin here from Golf Monthly and welcome to the London Club and this video on
00:04the seven most surprising golf rules that could potentially catch you out. Now these are all
00:10rules of golf that you will encounter during the course of a normal 18 holes that there is a little
00:15bit of confusion around and we're going to try to make sure that we clarify the situation so that
00:20you don't incur any penalty shots. Now the advice in this video comes courtesy of Jez Elwood, he's
00:25a qualified rules official, he'll explain everything you need to know. Right, as I mentioned we're here
00:29at the London Club, let's get started.
00:41Oh that's nice, that looks about the right club.
00:46Okay so this one is all about the information that you are allowed and are not allowed to gather before you play.
00:53Now Jez, I believe you've not broken the rules here. I have not.
00:57There's a fine line isn't there between doing something that you're allowed to do and then breaking the rules. What is it?
01:01Well the fine line is that I can't ask you what club you've just hit unless you were my partner in a pairs match.
01:07Yes. I can look in your bag to try and work out what club you've just hit.
01:11Right, so you can see that I've hit a four-iron by noticing it's the only club that's missing.
01:14I was having a good look there to try and work out what you're hitting. Obviously a shot like this is quite important.
01:19What I can't do is actually let's say your head cover was lying across the clubs or a towel or you had the bag cover on.
01:25I'm not allowed to touch your equipment.
01:27Right. And that is prohibited under rule 10.2 which is the rule that covers advice.
01:31If I were to touch your equipment I would be penalised under that rule and the penalty would be the general penalty.
01:36So if this was a match I've just lost the hole. If this was a straight play competition I've just incurred a two shot penalty.
01:42So it's a fine line just be very careful on that one. Now something that you are allowed to do you are allowed to ask what the yardage is.
01:48So if I've already got my laser out and zapped the yardage you're allowed to say to me so what is that?
01:52I don't have to tell you. You don't have to tell me.
01:54I probably would otherwise that might be seen as being a bit rude. I guess that sort of thing helps speed up play doesn't it?
01:59It would do yes and I personally at the moment don't have a laser and sometimes that can just help a little bit.
02:05But you're obviously not obliged to tell me. I may have to sit there and work it all out for myself.
02:09Yeah. So there you go. That's what you are and are not allowed to do when it comes to gathering information before you play.
02:19OK. So this one is all about something called backstopping.
02:22And backstopping is a term that came to prominence I think probably a couple of years ago through a few incidents that took place on tour.
02:28Jez what is backstopping?
02:30Well it's effectively as it implies leaving a ball there that could act as a backstop to a shot played from off the green to stop it going as far past the hole as it otherwise might.
02:40OK. So this ball here let's say you've chipped up and you've left your ball there.
02:44Yeah. I'm off the green chipping on.
02:45Yes.
02:46You're about to mark that and I say to you just leave that there Jez that might come in handy stop my ball from you know drifting off to about here.
02:52Yeah.
02:53That's not allowed.
02:54That is not allowed as you see in the clip there I could at that point and said no I am going to mark it and then the situation was dealt with.
03:00Yes.
03:01But in that clip you'll see that I agree to leave that in there so the two of us have agreed between us to leave that ball there as a backstop potentially help you.
03:08So the question is who gets the penalty?
03:10Yeah.
03:11And how bad is that penalty?
03:13OK. Well in this scenario both players that have agreed to leave the ball there as a backstop get a two shot penalty.
03:18Ouch. So you get a two shot penalty as well.
03:20I get one as well yeah.
03:21Ouch.
03:22It really isn't worth it and it's only in stroke play so this is a rule it's 15.3a in the book and it's only in stroke play.
03:29Yeah I can see how it doesn't necessarily need to apply in match play because you would always mark that in match play.
03:34Yeah you wouldn't want to help your opponent.
03:35Your opponent.
03:36So yeah.
03:37But there is also an important distinction here to make between if my ball was on the green versus if it's off the green.
03:43If it's off the green this becomes rule 15.3a.
03:47But if my ball's on the green in this sort of scenario.
03:50So if both balls are on the green and your ball strikes mine then you are penalised two shots for striking another ball at rest on the green from a shot played on the green and that's rule 11.1a.
04:01But I wouldn't get a penalty in that scenario.
04:03So there you have it backstopping.
04:05It's a little bit complicating.
04:06It is a little bit fiddly but it's one well worth remembering because it could potentially catch you out on the golf course.
04:12Okay so as you can see my ball has come to rest and right on the line is a sprinkler head.
04:22Now anyone who has played golf with me before will know that I would be desperate to putt this avoiding using my wedge to chip it at all costs.
04:29But Jez I think the surprising thing about the rules of golf here is that you don't automatically get relief in a scenario like this.
04:36You don't automatically get to drop away from the sprinkler head do you?
04:39No.
04:40Explain what people need to look out for.
04:41Okay well there's a difference here between the sprinkler head actually interfering with where your ball is lying, where your stance is or the area of your intended swing.
04:50Yes.
04:51So if your foot was on that or your ball was on that then yes you do get relief.
04:54So if I'm stood here fine or the ball's on it fine.
04:57Yeah but for a sprinkler head near the green that is simply on your line you don't get automatic relief you need to check that there's a local rule in force.
05:05Yeah back of the scorecard have a look to see and usually the rule the local rule will be whether this sprinkler head is within two club lengths of the green is that right?
05:15Yeah within two club lengths of the green and your ball is within two club lengths of the sprinkler head.
05:19Which must be directly on your line.
05:21Right.
05:22So if my ball was here I wouldn't get relief if it was slightly off.
05:25Yeah.
05:26Yeah.
05:27You would be hard pushed to justify that.
05:28Yes.
05:29So I think the advice here is always check the back of the scorecard in a situation like this.
05:32Don't just proceed under what you think is the rules of golf because it could potentially catch you out.
05:38I'm going to have to chip this am I Jez?
05:40Well we need to check if there's a local rule there which I'm hoping there won't be so I can witness you chipping this.
05:45Let me go with the chip.
05:49Safety first.
05:50Actually making a bit of a fuss about nothing.
05:52There we are.
05:53I think I'd have done better with the putter but as I say this one's one to keep an eye out from.
05:58Be careful with it.
05:59It could potentially catch you out.
06:01Yeah.
06:02Yeah.
06:03Yeah.
06:04Yeah.
06:05Yeah.
06:06So what happens if you hit a shot and the ball ricochets back and hits you and I think there are two most likely scenarios where that would happen.
06:13Thinning one into the face of the bunker, the ball comes back and hits you.
06:17Yeah.
06:18Or maybe you're trying to chip out through the trees again you know going for a risky shot and the ball comes back and hits you.
06:23Yeah.
06:24And Jez the surprising thing here is what?
06:25Well the surprising thing is that from 2019 onwards there is no penalty for that scenario.
06:30Yes.
06:31As long as it's accidental so if the ball comes back towards you and you do a bit of nifty footwork to nudge it forwards.
06:35Definitely can't do that.
06:36Then that's not accidental but if it's a genuine, hits the tree, comes back at you, hits you, there is no penalty.
06:41Now people might be surprised by that because way back when, I say way back when, not that long ago, this used to be a two shot penalty didn't it?
06:48Yeah.
06:49Two shot penalty until 2008 and some viewers may remember Jeff Maggott incurring that two shot penalty when he was vying for the Masters in 2003.
07:00Came back off a bunker face and hit him.
07:03So from 2008 it was downgraded to one shot and then from 2019 no penalty if the ball ricochets or something comes back and hits you accidentally.
07:12Yeah.
07:13So in this scenario if one of your playing partners tries to add a penalty shot to your score just be sure to tell them actually there is no penalty in this scenario.
07:21I'm going to have a go at this Jez.
07:22Try not to thin it into the face.
07:23Well it's a long bunker shot so there is potential.
07:28Sit.
07:29So you've just wasted one of your finest shots ever for a video.
07:37Damn it.
07:38Right so we've all been in the following scenario where you're preparing to hit a tee shot Jez and you're about to go waggling the club and then suddenly you nick the ball off the tee.
07:51Yes.
07:52Now what happens in this scenario in terms of the rules?
07:55Well after someone has inevitably said one what happens in the rules is you do exactly what you've done you put the ball back on the tee and then play it no penalty because the ball isn't in play at that point.
08:06And I think we've seen Zach Johnson become a bit of a master at snicking the ball on his practice swing.
08:12Yes.
08:13And there is no penalty for that.
08:14There is no penalty.
08:15On the tee.
08:16Because the ball is not yet in play.
08:17But I think the confusion here and the surprising thing here is that you do get penalised for doing exactly this thing if you did it on the fairway in the rough bunker penalty area.
08:27Yeah.
08:28Because your ball is in play.
08:29Yes.
08:30Your ball is in play and if you accidentally or anyway move your ball in play you are penalised and I think a lot of people think you're not.
08:38Partly because of the tee thing partly because as we'll come on into a minute the putting green and partly because they know that you're not penalised if you stand on your ball when searching for it.
08:47Now I think they've kind of extrapolated from that and thought there's no penalty for accidental movement but there is.
08:53So if you accidentally move your ball on the fairway with a practice swing or when you're setting the club down behind the ball you will be penalised and you must then replace the ball to where it was before playing your next shot.
09:04And as Jez has mentioned there is another exception and that relates to when you're on the putting green and I think in this scenario it's because the greens are so closely mown.
09:13They're so fast in a lot of places often you're getting situations especially on tour I think where players were taking their stance getting set up ready to play the ball and then the ball would move and they would get previously under the rules.
09:24They would have been penalised in that scenario but not anymore.
09:26No I think there was a Harrington incident in the Masters wasn't there a few years ago that kind of triggered a call for change and that change did come into effect.
09:35And now rather than splitting hairs they've just decided any accidental movement on the putting green is no penalty.
09:42Whether that's through putting your club down behind the ball and the ball moving or through catching on a practice swing.
09:48Accidentally hitting it with a back swing.
09:49And what you must do is replace the ball where it was and then carry on penalty free.
09:55Yes so there you have it that's hopefully all you need to know when it comes to accidentally moving your ball on the golf course.
10:16In match play right now Jez we would have quite an interesting scenario I think because I would be tempted to come along and just sort of try and tap that in.
10:25Yeah.
10:26But you've not given me the putt have you?
10:27I haven't because it's over three feet.
10:29Yeah and I'm likely to miss it.
10:31Yeah.
10:32So why is this a slightly iffy scenario?
10:34Well you could go ahead and tap that in if that is a tap in and you're not allowed to do that in match play because you'll be playing out of turn because my ball is lying farther from the hole.
10:45Yeah and I think the important thing to say here is that in match play there's so many different elements to the sort of tactics that go on the pressure that you're able to put your opponent under.
10:54If you just go up and straight up and hit that you're sort of taking a little bit of the pressure off your own shoulders because if you make that Jez my putt suddenly becomes more difficult doesn't it?
11:03I would think so and that is the whole point of the rule you know there's that psychological element to match play.
11:08You've got a three footer you think you're going to make it eight times out of ten nine times out of ten.
11:13If I make that that might come down to six times out of ten.
11:16Yeah.
11:17Because suddenly you have to make it.
11:18Of course in truth in this scenario it can create a bit of a sort of frosty atmosphere between players.
11:23My feeling is that it's really down to the player who's just hit the putt i.e. me in this scenario to make sure that I don't put you in an awkward position.
11:30Yeah.
11:31Because if I do hole it Jez.
11:32Yes.
11:33You have a difficult decision to make don't you?
11:34Well yeah as you say it depends on a lot of factors but I could just say I'm sorry you've played out of turn.
11:40There's no penalty for doing so other than I could ask you to play the putt again and then if I hole mine and you miss yours suddenly you've lost a hole and that's a completely different complexion going to the next tee.
11:54Yeah exactly.
11:55So just one to be wary of try to avoid finding yourself in that situation in match play.
12:03This one is all about identifying your ball on the golf course.
12:07Now Jez there's certain things here that players may have taken for granted that they are or are not allowed to do that they get wrong in my experience.
12:14Yeah.
12:15My ball is just here I can't see any identifying marks I can't see the logo and I can't see my mark on the ball.
12:20Yeah.
12:21So I'm going to need to find out whether that is actually my ball.
12:23Yes.
12:24What am I allowed to do what am I not allowed to do?
12:26Okay well rule 7.3 allows you in this scenario to lift the ball to make a positive identification.
12:31Okay.
12:32What you must do and this is what people I play with all the time don't do in competitions as well as in friendlies is mark the position of the ball first.
12:41I'm going to use a tee peg.
12:42So what you can't do pick it up oh that's mine and then put it back down again you need to use a tee peg.
12:47Do you have to call over your playing partner to watch you go through that process?
12:51Well you don't anymore you used to have to now you don't so that that part of the rule is gone but the marking its position first before you lift it remains and if you fail to do that you will get a one shot penalty.
13:02Yeah ouch.
13:03So remember if you are identifying your ball always use some form of marker to mark the position of the ball then you won't go wrong.
13:09So there you have it that's our look at the seven goal falls that are surprising that could potentially catch you out.
13:15I hope you found that video interesting if you do have any questions please leave them below we'll try and get back to as many people as we can.
13:22But that's it for now from the London Club thanks for watching we'll see you next time.
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