Purpose of Rule: Rule 20 covers what players should do when they have questions about the Rules during a round, including the procedures (which differ in match play and stroke play) allowing a player to protect the right to get a ruling at a later time.
The Rule also covers the role of referees who are authorized to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules. Rulings from a referee or the Committee are binding on all players.
Players must not unreasonably delay play when seeking help with the Rules during a roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee.:
If a refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) or the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) is not available in a reasonable time to help with a Rules issue, the player must decide what to do and play on.
The player may protect his or her rights by asking for a ruling in match playMatch Play: A form of play where a player or side plays directly against an opponent or opposing side in a head-to-head match of one or more rounds:(...Continued) (see Rule 20.1b(2)) or by playing two balls in stroke playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued) (see Rule 20.1c(3)).
The agreed outcome is conclusive even if it turns out to have been wrong under the Rules, so long as the players did not deliberately agree to ignore any Rule or penalty they knew applied (see Rule 1.3b(1)).
But if a refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) is assigned to the match, the refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) must rule on any issue that comes to his or her attention in time and the players must follow that ruling.
In the absence of a refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued), if the players do not agree or have doubt about how the Rules apply, either player may request a ruling under Rule 20.1b(2).
If a refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) or the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) is not available in a reasonable time, the player may make the request for a ruling by notifying the opponentOpponent: The person a player competes against in a match. The term opponent applies only in match play. that a later ruling will be sought when a refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) or the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) becomes available.
If a player makes a request for a ruling before the result of the match is final:
A ruling will be given only if the request is made in time, which depends on when the player becomes aware of the facts creating the Rules issue:
When Player Becomes Aware of the Facts Before Either Player Starts the Final Hole of the Match. When the player becomes aware of the facts, the ruling request must be made before either player makes a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) to begin another hole.
When Player Becomes Aware of the Facts During or After Completion of the Final Hole of the Match. The ruling request must be made before the result of the match is final (see Rule 3.2a(5)).
If the player does not make the request in this time, a ruling will not be given by a refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) or the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) and the result of the hole(s) in question will stand even if the Rules were applied in the wrong way.
If the player requests a ruling about an earlier hole, a ruling will be given only if all three of these apply:
The opponentOpponent: The person a player competes against in a match. The term opponent applies only in match play. breached Rule 3.2d(1) (giving wrong number of strokes taken) or Rule 3.2d(2) (failing to tell the player about a penalty),
The request is based on facts the player was not aware of before either player made a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) to begin the hole being played or, if between holes, the hole just completed, and
After becoming aware of these facts, the player makes a request for a ruling in time (as set out above).
The CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) will give the player a ruling only if both of these apply:
The request is based on facts the player was not aware of before the result of the match was final, and
The opponentOpponent: The person a player competes against in a match. The term opponent applies only in match play. breached Rule 3.2d(1) (giving wrong number of strokes taken) or Rule 3.2d(2) (failing to tell the player about a penalty) and knew of the breach before the result of the match was final.
There is no time limit on giving such a ruling.
The players are encouraged to help each other in applying the Rules, but they have no right to decide a Rules issue by agreement and any such agreement they may reach is not binding on any player, a refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) or the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued).
A player should raise any Rules issues with the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) before returning his or her scorecardScorecard: The document where a player’s score for each hole is entered in stroke play.(...Continued).
If a player knows or believes that another player has breached or might have breached the Rules and that the other player does not recognize or is ignoring this, the player should tell the other player, the player’s markerMarker: In stroke play, the person responsible for entering a player’s score on the player’s scorecard and for certifying that scorecard. The marker may be another player, but not a partner.(...Continued), a refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) or the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued).
This should be done promptly after the player becomes aware of the issue, and no later than before the other player returns his or her scorecardScorecard: The document where a player’s score for each hole is entered in stroke play.(...Continued) unless it is not possible to do so.
If the player fails to do so, the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) may disqualify the player under Rule 1.2a if it decides that this was serious misconduct contrary to the spirit of the game.
The player must decide to play two balls after the uncertain situation arises and before making a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued).
The player should choose which ball will count if the Rules allow the procedure used for that ball, by announcing that choice to his or her markerMarker: In stroke play, the person responsible for entering a player’s score on the player’s scorecard and for certifying that scorecard. The marker may be another player, but not a partner.(...Continued) or to another player before making a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued).
If the player does not choose in time, the ball played first is treated as the ball chosen by default.
The player must report the facts of the situation to the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) before returning the scorecardScorecard: The document where a player’s score for each hole is entered in stroke play.(...Continued), even if the player scores the same with both balls. The player is disqualified if he or she fails to do so.
If the player made a strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) before deciding to play a second ball:
This Rule does not apply at all and the score that counts is the score with the ball played before the player decided to play the second ball.
But the player gets no penalty for playing the second ball.
A second ball played under this Rule is not the same as a provisional ballProvisional Ball: Another ball played in case the ball just played by the player may be:(...Continued) under Rule 18.3.
The score with the ball chosen (whether by the player or by default) counts if the Rules allow the procedure used for that ball.
If the Rules do not allow the procedure used for that ball, the score with the other ball played counts if the Rules allow the procedure used for that other ball.
If the Rules do not allow the procedures used for each of the two balls, the score with the ball chosen (whether by the player or by default) counts unless there was a serious breachSerious Breach: In stroke play, when playing from a wrong place could give the player a significant advantage compared to the stroke to be made from the right place.(...Continued) in playing that ball from a wrong placeWrong Place: Any place on the course other than where the player is required or allowed to play his or her ball under the Rules.(...Continued), in which case the score with the other ball counts.
If there was a serious breachSerious Breach: In stroke play, when playing from a wrong place could give the player a significant advantage compared to the stroke to be made from the right place.(...Continued) in playing each ball from a wrong placeWrong Place: Any place on the course other than where the player is required or allowed to play his or her ball under the Rules.(...Continued), the player is disqualified.
All strokes with the ball that does not count (including strokesStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued) made and any penalty strokes solely from playing that ball) do not count in the player’s score for the hole.
“Rules allow the procedure used” means that either: (a) the original ball was played as it lies and play was allowed from there, or (b) the ball that was played was put in playIn Play: The status of a player’s ball when it lies on the course and is being used in the play of a hole:(...Continued) under the right procedure, in the right way and in the right place under the Rules.
A refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) is an official named by the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.
A referee’sReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) ruling on the facts or how the Rules apply must be followed by the player.
A player has no right to appeal a referee’sReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) ruling to the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued).
The refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) may seek the Committee’sCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) help before making a ruling or refer a ruling to the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) for review, but is not required to do so.
When there is no refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) to give a ruling or when a refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) refers a ruling to the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued):
The ruling will be given by the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued), and
The Committee’sCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) ruling is final.
If the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) cannot reach a decision, it may refer the issue to the Rules of Golf Committee of the USGA, whose decision is final.
When the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) is deciding questions of fact in making a ruling, the use of video evidence is limited by the “naked eye” standard:
If the facts shown on the video could not reasonably have been seen with the naked eye, that video evidence will be disregarded even if it indicates a breach of the Rules.
But even where video evidence is disregarded under the “naked eye” standard, a breach of the Rules will still be found if the player was otherwise aware of facts establishing a breach (such as where the player felt the club touch sand in a bunkerBunker: A specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil was removed.(...Continued) even though that could not be seen by the naked eye).
If a ruling by a refereeReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) or the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) is later found to be wrong:
The ruling will be corrected if possible under the Rules.
If it is too late to do so, the wrong ruling stands.
If a player takes an action in breach of a Rule based on a reasonable misunderstanding of a referee’sReferee: An official named by the Committee to decide questions of fact and apply the Rules.(...Continued) or Committee’sCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) instruction during a roundRound: 18 or fewer holes played in the order set by the Committee. or while play is stopped under Rule 5.7a (such as lifting a ball in playIn Play: The status of a player’s ball when it lies on the course and is being used in the play of a hole:(...Continued) when not allowed under the Rules), there is no penalty and the instruction is treated like a wrong ruling.
This may be done even after the result of the match is final (see Rule 3.2a(5)).
For when the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) will give a ruling when a request is made after the result of the match is final, see Rule 20.1b(3).
When the result becomes final in the way set by the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) or,
In stroke-playStroke Play: A form of play where a player or side competes against all other players or sides in the competition.(...Continued) qualifying followed by match playMatch Play: A form of play where a player or side plays directly against an opponent or opposing side in a head-to-head match of one or more rounds:(...Continued), when the player has teed off to start his or her first match.
But a player must be disqualified even after the competition is closed if he or she:
Returned a score for any hole lower than actually taken for any reason other than failing to include one or more penalty strokes that, before the competition closed, the player did not know about (see Rule 3.3b(3)),
Knew before the competition had closed that the returned scorecardScorecard: The document where a player’s score for each hole is entered in stroke play.(...Continued) showed a handicap that was higher than the actual handicap, and this affected the number of handicap strokes used to adjust the player’s score (see Rule 3.3b(4)),
Knew before the competition had closed that he or she was in breach of any other Rule with a penalty of disqualification, or
Deliberately agreed with another player to ignore any Rule or penalty they knew applied (see Rule 1.3b(1)).
The CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued) may also disqualify a player under Rule 1.2 (serious misconduct) after the competition has closed.
Any situation not covered by the Rules should be decided by the CommitteeCommittee: The person or group in charge of the competition or the course.(...Continued):
Considering all the circumstances, and
Treating the situation in a way that is reasonable, fair and consistent with how similar situations are treated under the Rules.