Advice, Anchoring and Caddies (Rule 10): What Golfers Can and Can't Do Before a Stroke
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How we wrote this: A plain-English summary of Rule 10 of the Rules of Golf as published by The R&A, checked October 29, 2026. The "general penalty" is two strokes in stroke play and loss of hole in match play. Read the official text for every exception.
The R&A's underlying principle for Rule 10: golf is a game of skill and personal challenge, so there are limits on help.
Making a stroke (Rule 10.1)
- Fairly strike the ball with the clubhead: only momentary contact, with no pushing, scraping or scooping. Hitting the ball twice by accident counts as one stroke, with no penalty.
- No anchoring. You can't hold the club or a gripping hand against your body, or brace a forearm against your body to create an anchor point. Holding it against your other hand or forearm is fine, and so is the club merely touching your body or clothing.
- No straddling your line of play. You can't take a stance with a foot deliberately on each side of the line, or touching it or its extension behind the ball. No penalty if it's accidental or done to avoid another player's line.
- Don't hit a moving ball. There are exceptions: a ball that starts moving after your backswing begins, a ball falling off the tee, and a ball moving in water. A ball that wobbles but stays on its spot counts as at rest.
Penalty: the general penalty. In stroke play the stroke still counts.
Advice (Rule 10.2a)
During a round you must not:
- give advice to anyone in the competition playing on the course,
- ask anyone except your caddie for advice, or
- touch another player's equipment to learn something, such as peeking at which club is in their bag.
These limits don't apply before a round, between rounds, or while play is stopped. Partners in team formats may advise each other.
Other help (Rule 10.2b)
- Don't set an object down to help you aim or take your stance, for example a club laid on the ground along your feet. Removing it before the stroke doesn't avoid the penalty. The same applies to drawing a line in sand or dew.
- Other people can point out public information, such as a tree marking the center of a blind fairway. Off the green, someone may stand where you aim, but must move before you swing.
- Anyone may stand near the hole to attend the flagstick.
Caddies (Rule 10.3)
A caddie may carry clubs, give advice and help with your line. But:
- During the stroke, the caddie can't stand where you aim or point out a spot on the ground.
- Once you've taken your stance, the caddie can't stand behind you to help you aim. No penalty if they were there inadvertently.
- You're responsible for your caddie's breaches.
Related: the 14-club limit, putting green rules, ball in motion.