Putting Green Rules in Golf: Flagstick, Repairs, Marking and the 10-Second Rule (Rule 13)
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How we wrote this: A plain-English summary of Rule 13 of the official Rules of Golf as published by the R&A, checked October 29, 2026.
The putting green has its own Rules. Here are the ones that come up every round.
Mark, lift and clean
Rule 13.1b: a ball on the putting green may be lifted and cleaned. Mark the spot first, and replace the ball on its original spot.
What you can fix
Rule 13.1c lets you, without penalty:
- Remove sand and loose soil on the putting green.
- Repair damage, using your hand, foot, a ball-mark repair tool, a tee, a club or similar normal equipment, without unreasonably delaying play.
"Damage" includes ball-marks, shoe damage such as spike marks, scrapes from equipment or the flagstick, old hole plugs and turf plugs, animal tracks, and embedded objects such as stones, acorns or tees. It does not include aeration holes, grooves from vertical mowing, or natural wear of the hole. Going beyond what's reasonable to restore the green counts as improving it.
Don't test the green
Rule 13.1e: during a round, you must not deliberately rub the surface or roll a ball to test a putting green. Between holes you may do so on the green you just finished and on any practice green. The penalty is the general penalty.
If your ball or marker moves
Rule 13.1d: no penalty if you, an opponent or another player accidentally move your ball or ball-marker on the putting green. Replace the ball on its original spot (estimate it if unknown).
Flagstick in or out
Rule 13.2: decide before the stroke:
- Leave it in: no penalty if your ball hits it. Don't deliberately move it off-center to gain an advantage.
- Remove it, or have someone attend it and take it out during or after the stroke.
The ten-second rule
Rule 13.3a: if your ball overhangs the lip, you get a reasonable time to reach the hole and ten more seconds. If it drops in that time, you holed out with the previous stroke. If it drops later, before you play it, you've still holed out with the previous stroke, but add one penalty stroke.
Also see our guides to free relief and the World Handicap System.