Purpose of Rule: Rule 7 allows the player to take reasonable actions to fairly search for their ball in play after each stroke.
But the player still must be careful, as a penalty will apply if the player acts excessively and causes improvement to the conditions affecting their next stroke.
The player gets no penalty if the ball is accidentally moved in trying to find or identify it, but must then replace the ball on its original spot.
A player is responsible for finding their 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) after each strokeStroke: The forward movement of the club made to strike the ball.(...Continued).
The player may fairly search for the ball by taking reasonable actions to find and identify it, such as:
Moving sand and water, and
Moving or bending grass, bushes, tree branches and other growing or attached natural objects, and also breaking such objects, but only if such breaking is a result of other reasonable actions taken to find or identify the ball.
If taking such reasonable actions as part of a fair search improvesImprove: To alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke or other physical conditions affecting play so that a player gains a potential advantage for a stroke. the conditions affecting the strokeConditions Affecting the Stroke: The lie of the player’s ball at rest, the area of intended stance, the area of intended swing, the line of play and the relief area where the player will drop or place a ball.:
There is no penalty under Rule 8.1a if the improvement results from a fair search.
But if the improvementImprove: To alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke or other physical conditions affecting play so that a player gains a potential advantage for a stroke. results from actions that exceeded what was reasonable for a fair search, the player gets the general penaltyGeneral Penalty: Loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play. for breach of Rule 8.1a.
In trying to find and identify the ball, the player may remove loose impedimentsLoose Impediment: Any unattached natural object such as:(...Continued) as allowed in Rule 15.1 and may remove movable obstructionsMovable Obstruction: An obstruction that can be moved with reasonable effort and without damaging the obstruction or the course.(...Continued) as allowed in Rule 15.2.
The player must re-create the original lieLie: The spot on which a ball is at rest and any growing or attached natural object, immovable obstruction, integral object, or boundary object touching the ball or right next to it.(...Continued) in the sand, but may leave a small part of the ball visible if the ball had been covered by sand.
If the player plays the ball without having re-created the original lieLie: The spot on which a ball is at rest and any growing or attached natural object, immovable obstruction, integral object, or boundary object touching the ball or right next to it.(...Continued), the player gets the general penaltyGeneral Penalty: Loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play..
A player’s ball at rest may be identified in any one of these ways:
By the player or anyone else seeing a ball come to rest in circumstances where it is known to be the player’s ball.
By seeing the player’s identifying mark on the ball (see Rule 6.3a), but this does not apply if an identical ball with an identical identifying mark is also found in the same area.
By finding a ball with the same brand, model, number and condition as the player’s ball in an area where the player’s ball is expected to be, but this does not apply if an identical ball is in the same area and there is no way to know which one is the player’s ball.
If a player’s provisional ballProvisional Ball: Another ball played in case the ball just played by the player may be:(...Continued) cannot be distinguished from their original ball, see Rule 18.3c(2).
If a ball might be a player’s ball but cannot be identified as it lies:
The player may lift the ball to identify it (including by rotating it), but:
The spot of the ball must first be markedMark: To show the spot where a ball is at rest by either:(...Continued), and the ball must not be cleaned more than needed to identify it (except on the putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued)) (see Rule 14.1).
If the lifted ball is the player’s ball or another player’s ball, it must be replacedReplace: To place a ball by setting it down by hand and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play.(...Continued) on its original spot (see Rule 14.2).
If the player lifts their ball under this Rule when not reasonably necessary to identify it (except on the putting greenPutting Green: The area on the hole the player is playing that:(...Continued) where the player may lift under Rule 13.1b), fails to markMark: To show the spot where a ball is at rest by either:(...Continued) the spot of the ball before lifting it or cleans it when not allowed, the player gets one penalty stroke.
Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong PlaceWrong Place: Any place on the course other than where the player is required or allowed to play their ball under the Rules.(...Continued) in Breach of Rule 7.3: General PenaltyGeneral Penalty: Loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play. under Rule 14.7a.
There is no penalty if the player’s ball is accidentally movedMoved: When a ball at rest has left its original spot and come to rest on any other spot, and this can be seen by the naked eye (whether or not anyone actually sees it do so).(...Continued) by the player, opponentOpponent: The person a player competes against in a match. The term opponent applies only in match play. or anyone else while trying to find or identify it. But if the player causes the ball to moveMoved: When a ball at rest has left its original spot and come to rest on any other spot, and this can be seen by the naked eye (whether or not anyone actually sees it do so).(...Continued) before they start to search for the ball, the player gets one penalty stroke under Rule 9.4b.
Under this Rule, “accidentally” includes when the ball is movedMoved: When a ball at rest has left its original spot and come to rest on any other spot, and this can be seen by the naked eye (whether or not anyone actually sees it do so).(...Continued) by anyone taking reasonable actions to find the ball that were likely to reveal the ball’s location by movingMoved: When a ball at rest has left its original spot and come to rest on any other spot, and this can be seen by the naked eye (whether or not anyone actually sees it do so).(...Continued) it (such as by sweeping feet through long grass or shaking a tree).
In these situations, the ball must be replacedReplace: To place a ball by setting it down by hand and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play.(...Continued) on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated) (see Rule 14.2). In doing so:
If the ball was on, under or against any immovable obstructionImmovable Obstruction: Any obstruction that:(...Continued), integral objectIntegral Object: An artificial object defined by the Committee as part of the challenge of playing the course from which free relief is not allowed.(...Continued), boundary objectBoundary Object: Artificial objects defining or showing out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings, from which free relief is not allowed.(...Continued) or growing or attached natural object, the ball must be replacedReplace: To place a ball by setting it down by hand and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play.(...Continued) on its original spot on, under or against such object (see Rule 14.2c).
If the ball was covered by sand, the original lieLie: The spot on which a ball is at rest and any growing or attached natural object, immovable obstruction, integral object, or boundary object touching the ball or right next to it.(...Continued) must be re-created and the ball must be replacedReplace: To place a ball by setting it down by hand and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play.(...Continued) in that lieLie: The spot on which a ball is at rest and any growing or attached natural object, immovable obstruction, integral object, or boundary object touching the ball or right next to it.(...Continued) (see Rule 14.2d(1)). But the player may leave a small part of the ball visible when doing so.
See also Rule 15.1a (restriction on deliberately removing certain loose impedimentsLoose Impediment: Any unattached natural object such as:(...Continued) before replacingReplace: To place a ball by setting it down by hand and letting it go, with the intent for it to be in play.(...Continued) ball).
Penalty for Breach of Rule 7.4: General PenaltyGeneral Penalty: Loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play..