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15
Relief from Loose Impediments and Movable Obstructions (Including Ball or Ball-Marker Helping or Interfering with Play)
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15Relief from Loose Impediments and Movable Obstructions (Including Ball or Ball-Marker Helping or Interfering with Play)
15
Relief from Loose Impediments and Movable Obstructions (Including Ball or Ball-Marker Helping or Interfering with Play)
Purpose of Rule: Rule 15 covers when and how the player may take free relief from loose impediments and movable obstructions.
- These movable natural and artificial objects are not treated as part of the challenge of playing the course, and a player is normally allowed to remove them when they interfere with play.
- But the player needs to be careful in moving loose impediments near their ball off the putting green, because there will be a penalty if moving them causes the ball to move.
15
Relief from Loose Impediments and Movable Obstructions (Including Ball or Ball-Marker Helping or Interfering with Play)
15.1
Loose Impediments
15.1a
Removal of Loose Impediment
Without penalty, a player may remove a loose impediment anywhere on or off the course, and may do so in any way (such as by using a hand or foot, using a club or other equipment, getting help from others or breaking off part of a loose impediment).
But there are two exceptions:
Exception 1 – Removing Loose Impediment Where Ball Must Be Replaced: Before replacing a ball that was lifted or moved from anywhere except the putting green:
- A player must not deliberately remove a loose impediment that, if moved before the ball was lifted or moved, would have been likely to have caused the ball to move.
- If the player does so, they get one penalty stroke, but the removed loose impediment does not need to be replaced.
15.1b
Ball Moved When Removing Loose Impediment
If a player’s removal of a loose impediment causes their ball to move:
- The ball must be replaced on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated) (see Rule 14.2).
- If the moved ball had been at rest anywhere except on the putting green (see Rule 13.1d) or in the teeing area (see Rule 6.2b(6)), the player gets one penalty stroke under Rule 9.4b, except when Rule 7.4 applies (no penalty for ball moved during search) or when another exception to Rule 9.4b applies.
15.2
Movable Obstructions
This Rule covers free relief that is allowed from artificial objects that meet the definition of movable obstruction.
It does not give relief from immovable obstructions (a different type of free relief is allowed under Rule 16.1) or boundary objects or integral objects (no free relief is allowed).
15.2a
Relief from Movable Obstruction
(1) Removal of Movable Obstruction. Without penalty, a player may remove a movable obstruction anywhere on or off the course and may do so in any way.
But there are two exceptions:
Exception 1 – Tee-Markers Must Not Be Moved When Ball Will Be Played from Teeing Area (see Rules 6.2b(4) and 8.1a(1)).
Exception 2 – Restrictions on Deliberately Removing Movable Obstruction to Affect a Ball in Motion (see Rule 11.3).
If a player’s ball moves while they are removing a movable obstruction:
(3) Relief When Ball Is in or on Movable Obstruction on Putting Green. The player may take free relief by:
- There is no penalty, and
- The ball must be replaced on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated) (see Rule 14.2).
- Reference Point: The estimated point right under where the ball was at rest in or on the movable obstruction.
- Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: One club-length, but with these limits:
- Limits on Location of Relief Area:
- Must be in the same area of the course as the reference point, and
- Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point.
ŞEKİL #1 15.2a: SABİT OLMAYAN ENGEL KALDIRILDIĞINDA TOP HAREKET ETTİYSE (TOPUN ENGEL İÇİNDE VEYA ÜZERİNDE OLMASI DURUMU HARİÇ)
ŞEKİL #2 15.2a: TOPUN SABİT OLMAYAN ENGEL İÇİNDE VEYA ÜZERİNDE DURMASI
- Top, saha üzerinde herhangi bir yerde sabit olmayan bir engel içinde veya üzerinde durduğunda (bir havlu gibi), top kaldırılıp, sabit olmayan engel oradan alındıktan sonra topun green’de olması durumu hariç(bu durumda yerleştirilir), bir top drop ederek cezasız kurtulma alınabilir.
- Kurtulma alınırken referans noktası, topun sabit olmayan engel üzerinde veya içinde durduğu noktanın tam altıdır.
- Kurtulma alanı, referans noktasından çukura daha yakın olmayan bir sopa boyu alandır ve referans noktası ile aynı saha alanında olmak zorundadır.
- Lifting the ball and removing the movable obstruction, and
- Placing the original ball or another ball on the estimated spot right under where the ball was at rest in or on the movable obstruction, using the procedures for replacing a ball under Rule 14.2b(2) and 14.2e.
15.2b
Relief for Ball Not Found but in or on Movable Obstruction
If a player’s ball has not been found and it is known or virtually certain that it came to rest in or on a movable obstruction on the course, the player may use this relief option instead of taking stroke-and-distance relief:
- The player may take free relief under Rule 15.2a(2) or 15.2a(3), using the estimated point right under where the ball last crossed the edge of the movable obstruction on the course as the reference point.
- Once the player puts another ball in play to take relief in this way:
- The original ball is no longer in play and must not be played.
- This is true even if it is then found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time (see Rule 6.3b).
15.3
Ball or Ball-Marker Helping or Interfering with Play
15.3a
Ball on Putting Green Helping Play
Rule 15.3a applies only to a ball at rest on the putting green, not anywhere else on the course.
If a player reasonably believes that a ball on the putting green might help anyone’s play (such as by serving as a possible backstop near the hole), the player may:
- Mark the spot of the ball and lift it under Rule 13.1b if it is their own ball, or if the ball belongs to another player, require the other player to mark the spot and lift the ball (see Rule 14.1).
- The lifted ball must be replaced on its original spot (see Rule 14.2).
- A player who is required to lift a ball may play first instead, and
- If two or more players agree to leave a ball in place to help any player, and that player then makes a stroke with the helping ball left in place, each player who made the agreement gets the general penalty (two penalty strokes).
15.3b
Ball Anywhere on Course Interfering with Play
(1) Meaning of Interference by Another Player’s Ball. Interference under this Rule exists when another player’s ball at rest:
- Might interfere with the player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing,
- Is on or close to the player’s line of play such that, given the intended stroke, there is a reasonable chance the player’s ball in motion could hit that ball, or
- Is close enough to distract the player in making the stroke.
- The player may require the other player to mark the spot and lift the ball (see Rule 14.1), and the ball must not be cleaned (except when lifted from the putting green under Rule 13.1b) and must be replaced on its original spot (see Rule 14.2).
- If the other player does not mark the spot before lifting the ball or cleans the lifted ball when not allowed, they get one penalty stroke.
- In stroke play only, a player required to lift their ball under this Rule may play first instead.
15.3c
Ball-Marker Helping or Interfering with Play
If a ball-marker might help or interfere with play, a player may:
- Move the ball-marker out of the way if it is their own, or
- If the ball-marker belongs to another player, require that player to move the ball-marker out of the way, for the same reasons as he or she may require a ball to be lifted under Rules 15.3a and 15.3b.
- Makes a stroke without waiting for a helping ball or ball-marker to be lifted or moved after becoming aware that another player (1) intended to lift or move it under this Rule or (2) had required someone else to do so, or
- Refuses to lift their ball or move their ball-marker when required to do so and a stroke is then made by the other player whose play might have been helped or interfered with.