Procedures for Ball: Marking, Lifting and Cleaning;

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Procedures for Ball: Marking, Lifting and Cleaning; Replacing on Spot; Dropping in Relief Area; Playing from Wrong Place

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Official Rules

14.1Marking, Lifting and Cleaning Ball

14.2Replacing Ball on Spot

14.3Dropping Ball in Relief Area

14.4When Player’s Ball Is Back in Play After Original Ball Was Out of Play

14.5Correcting Mistake Made in Substituting, Replacing, Dropping or Placing Ball

14.6Making Next Stroke from Where Previous Stroke Made

14.7Playing from Wrong Place

Rule 13 Rule 15

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Purpose of Rule: Rule 14 covers when and how the player may mark the spot of a ball at rest and lift and clean the ball and how to put a ball back into play so that the ball is played from the right place.

When a lifted or moved ball is to be replaced, the same ball must be set down on its original spot.
When taking free relief or penalty relief, a substituted ball or the original ball must be dropped in a particular relief area.

A mistake in using these procedures may be corrected without penalty before the ball is played, but the player gets a penalty if they play the ball from the wrong place.

Procedures for Ball: Marking, Lifting and Cleaning; Replacing on Spot; Dropping in Relief Area; Playing from Wrong Place

14.1

Marking, Lifting and Cleaning Ball

This Rule applies to the deliberate “lifting” of a player’s ball at rest. This may be done in any way, which includes picking up the ball by hand, rotating it or otherwise deliberately causing it to move from its spot.

14.2

Replacing Ball on Spot

This Rule applies whenever a ball is lifted or moved and a Rule requires it to be replaced on a spot.

14.3

Dropping Ball in Relief Area

This Rule applies whenever a player must drop a ball in taking relief under a Rule, including when the player must complete taking relief by placing a ball under Rule 14.3c(2). If the player improves the relief area before or when dropping a ball, see Rule 8.1.

14.4

When Player’s Ball Is Back in Play After Original Ball Was Out of Play

When a player’s ball in play is lifted from the course or is lost or out of bounds, the ball is no longer in play. The player has a ball in play again only when:

The player plays the original ball or another ball from the teeing area, or
The original ball is replaced, dropped or placed on the course with the intent for that ball to be in play.

If a ball is returned to the course in any way with the intent for it to be in play, the ball is in play even if it was:

Substituted for the original ball when not allowed under the Rules, or
Replaced, dropped or placed (1) in a wrong place, (2) in a wrong way or (3) by using a procedure that did not apply.

A replaced ball is in play even if the ball-marker marking its spot has not been removed.

14.6

Making Next Stroke from Where Previous Stroke Made

This Rule applies whenever a player is required or allowed under the Rules to make the next stroke from where a previous stroke was made (such as, when taking stroke-and-distance relief, or playing again after a stroke that is cancelled or otherwise does not count).

How the player must put a ball in play depends on the area of the course where that previous stroke was made.
In all of these situations, the player may use either the original ball or another ball.