RULE 22: BALL INTERFERING WITH OR ASSISTING PLAY

Any player may (i) lift his ball if he considers that the ball might assist any other player or (ii) have any other ball lifted if he considers that the ball might interfere with his play or assist the play of any other player, but this may not be done while another ball is in motion. In stroke play, a player required to lift his ball may play first rather than lift. A ball lifted under this Rule shall be replaced.

This Rule is the simplest of the 34 Rules of Golf. Unfortunately, golfers’ memories are long and we remember how the rule read prior to 1984. Rule 22 developed out of the same Rule in 1744 that produced the “stymie.” In 1891, the R&A rules considered for the first time that the position of one ball might assist the play of another ball.

In stroke play the player whose ball was in such a position nearer the hole was given the option of lifting or holing out first if his ball might “give an advantage to another competitor.” In the code of 1899, the player was given the same option if his ball “might either interfere with the competitor’s stroke, or in any way assist the competitors;” wording that has remained essentially unchanged to this day. It should be noted that these regulations applied only to stroke play.

Before 1984, the right of a player to gain assistance from his opponent’s ball was an integral part of match play. Many players felt it was an advantage to have a ball close to the line of putt left in case of an offline putt. Since there has never been any penalty in match play for striking another ball on the putting green, whether the player is putting or not (and still is none), there was no compelling reason not to have the opponent’s ball left in place. The right to require the opponent to have his ball in match play was removed in 1984, further reducing the differences between stroke and match play.

Forget the pre-1984 Rule whereby the player away in match play was said to control the opponent’s ball in the sense of having him leave or lift it. A player may, under Rule 22, have another ball lifted if it interferes with his play, either physically or mentally.

For other questions on the Rules of Golf, check out the other articles in NOGA's USGA Rules Corner! Play well, and get to know the Rules of Golf!