When Your Golf Ball Hits Someone or Something (Rule 11): Accidental vs. Deliberate Deflections
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How we wrote this: A plain-English summary of Rule 11 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.
Accidental hits: usually no penalty (Rule 11.1)
If your ball in motion accidentally hits any person (including you, your opponent or a caddie), an animal, equipment or another outside influence, there's no penalty to anyone, and you normally play it as it lies.
The stroke-play exception: if your ball on the putting green hits another ball at rest on the green, and both were on the green before the stroke, you get two penalty strokes. This is why players mark and lift balls on the green.
If the ball ends up on a person, animal or moving object
- Off the putting green: drop a ball within one club-length of the spot right under where it first came to rest, in the same area of the course and no nearer the hole.
- On the putting green: place a ball on the estimated spot right under where it came to rest.
Strokes played from the putting green
If a putt accidentally hits a movable obstruction (other than your club, a ball at rest or the flagstick) or an animal (other than an insect or other loose impediment), you replay the stroke from where you hit it. If you don't replay, you get the general penalty and the stroke counts.
Deliberate actions: penalties apply (Rules 11.2 and 11.3)
- Deliberately deflecting or stopping any ball in motion (yours, an opponent's or another player's) brings the general penalty. That includes positioning equipment or a person to stop it.
- The ball can't be played as it lies. You drop within one club-length of where it would have come to rest, or replay if the stroke was from the green.
- While a ball is moving, you can't deliberately alter conditions (press down turf, replace a divot) or remove loose impediments or movable obstructions to affect where it stops. You may lift a ball at rest on the green and move players' equipment.
- Exceptions: match-play concessions when the ball has no reasonable chance of being holed, and lifting your ball moving in water while taking relief.
Related: ball moved at rest, putting green rules, advice and caddies.