Rules Education

Rules Week to Engage and Inspire

The R&A

27 Jan 21

3m read

The R&A is staging a dedicated Rules Week across its digital platforms this week (2 – 5 February), designed to engage golfers and referees alike across a variety of themes.

Whether you are an amateur golfer keen to learn more about the basics of the Rules of Golf, a junior golfer starting out in the sport or an aspiring referee looking to achieve more knowledge and qualifications, the week will offer interest for everyone. With golf unable to be played in many countries due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the week will also provide valuable engagement for golfers at home under lockdown restrictions – both from a theoretical and practical point of view.

Insight and analysis

Leading officials from The R&A and national federations will be involved in the week’s activity, offering insight and expert analysis. The week has also been timed to mark what would traditionally be the annual Level 3 Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar (TARS), organised by The R&A in St Andrews. The global event, part of The R&A’s qualification process designed to help candidates achieve the standard of tournament official or referee, is unable to be held in person this year due to the pandemic. The week will also build on The R&A’s popular and engaging video content for Rules over recent months, including Rules from the Garden and The 12 Rules of Christmas. The R&A’s Rules Week will feature daily highlights including:

details of a new referee qualification launching in 2022
a video piece that goes behind the scenes of the notable Jordan Spieth ruling en route to winning The Open at Royal Birkdale in 2017
the launch of the Rules Skool Open , a junior rules video project
interviews with leading players and officials

Rules community

Shona McRae, Assistant Director – Rules at The R&A, said, “We look forward to a successful Rules Week and communicating with the Rules community and golfers of all levels. “In the first week of February we would normally host our annual TARS event, which involves delegates coming from all over the world. Obviously, that is impossible in the current times, but rather than letting the week go by, we decided to pull together interviews, information on refereeing and other content we think will be of interest. “In particular, the Rules Skool Open is targeted for younger golfers to give them the basics of the Rules and have fun in an entertaining way, while also being of interest and use to anyone with an interest in the sport. Meanwhile, the Jordan Spieth ruling in 2017 is one that many golfers will have watched at The Open and we look forward to reviewing the process involved.” The R&A will also distribute newsletters during and after the Rules Week, so please sign up here if you would like to receive them. The R&A’s official Rules of Golf app can also be downloaded here, offering diagrams and how-to videos that help to explain the Rules and provide guidance for many common situations.

Rules Education