# Rule 7: Ball Search: Finding and Identifying Ball (The R&A and USGA Rules of Golf)

Golf · Rule 7: Ball Search: Finding and Identifying Ball · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/golf/laws/rule-7-ball-search-finding-and-identifying-ball/)

How to search fairly for the ball, when it becomes lost after three minutes, the ways a ball may be identified, lifting a ball to identify it, and what happens when it is moved during the search.

## 7.71 Ball Search: Finding and Identifying Ball

A fair search, the three-minute limit, identifying the ball, lifting to identify it, and a ball moved while searching.

### Test 1: A fair search for the ball

- A player is responsible for finding their ball in play after each stroke. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1a)
- Reasonable actions include moving sand and water and moving or bending grass, bushes, branches and other growing objects. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1a)
- There is no penalty when an improvement results from a fair search. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1a)
- If the improvement comes from actions that exceeded a fair search, the player gets the general penalty under Rule 8.1a. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1a)
- Breaking growing objects is allowed only when it results from other reasonable actions taken to find or identify the ball. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1a)
- In trying to find and identify the ball, the player may remove loose impediments as Rule 15.1 allows. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1a; Rule 15.1)
- Rule 7 allows reasonable actions to search fairly for the ball, while penalising excessive actions that improve the stroke. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7 (Purpose))
- Parting grass to look is a reasonable search action; once found, the ball is played as it lies. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1a)
- An improvement caused by actions beyond a fair search is a breach of Rule 8.1a and brings the general penalty. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1a; Rule 8.1a)
- Snapping branches off a tree on purpose (C) is not a reasonable search action. Parting grass (A), lifting a branch to look (B) and removing a leaf (D) are allowed. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1a)

### Test 2: When a ball is lost: the three-minute search

- A ball is lost if it is not found within three minutes after the search begins. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Definitions (Lost))
- Search time starts when the player or their caddie, or the player's partner or partner's caddie, begins to search. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Definitions (Lost))
- A ball does not become lost as a result of the player declaring it to be lost. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Definitions (Lost))
- If the player deliberately delays to let others search, the time starts when the player would have been able to search. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Definitions (Lost))
- Onlookers can help, but their looking does not set the clock running; it starts with the player's side. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Definitions (Lost))
- Finding the ball after the time limit is too late: its status is already lost. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Definitions (Lost))
- Time lost after mistakenly identifying a wrong ball is left out; the total search allowed stays three minutes. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Definitions (Lost))
- The deadline is fixed by the clock, not by when the ball happens to turn up. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Definitions (Lost))
- Deliberately delaying the start of the search does not delay the start of the search time. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Definitions (Lost))
- The pause does not count, but the two searching spells add up to three and a half minutes, more than the three allowed. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Definitions (Lost))

### Test 3: Identifying the ball

- A ball may be identified by the player or anyone else seeing it come to rest where it is known to be the player's. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.2)
- A ball matching the player's brand, model, number and condition, found where it is expected, identifies it, unless an identical ball is there too. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.2)
- It does not have to be the player who watched it stop; any witness will do. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.2)
- This way of identifying needs the same brand, model, number and condition as the player's ball. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.2)
- A personal mark identifies the ball, unless an identical ball with an identical mark lies in the same area. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.2)
- If the player cannot point to a ball as theirs in a set way before time runs out, the ball counts as lost. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.2; Definitions (Lost))
- A ball counts as the player's only when identified in one of the ways in Rule 7.2. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.2)
- A witness watching the ball settle is enough, without needing to see a mark. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.2)
- Each detail must match the player's ball, and only in the area where it was expected. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.2)
- An identifying mark does not identify the ball when an identical ball with an identical mark is in the same area. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.2)

### Test 4: Lifting a ball to identify it

- A player may lift a ball to identify it if it might be theirs but cannot be identified as it lies. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.3)
- The spot of the ball must be marked before it is lifted. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.3; Rule 14.1)
- The ball must not be cleaned more than needed to identify it, except on the putting green. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.3)
- Lifting when not reasonably necessary, not marking first or cleaning when not allowed is one penalty stroke. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.3)
- If the lifted ball is the player's or another player's, it must be replaced on its original spot. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.3; Rule 14.2)
- Lifting to identify includes rotating the ball, and the same procedure applies. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.3)
- On the putting green a player may lift and clean the ball under Rule 13.1b. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.3; Rule 13.1b)
- Mark, lift (or rotate) to identify, cleaning no more than needed, then replace the ball on its spot. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.3)
- Following the procedure is free; not marking is one stroke; playing from a wrong place is the general penalty. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.3, Penalty)
- A marks, lifts and turns the ball. B did not mark it, C cleaned it more than needed and D put it back away from its spot. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.3)

### Test 5: A ball moved while searching

- There is no penalty if the ball is accidentally moved while trying to find or identify it, but it must be replaced. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.4)
- Reasonable search actions likely to reveal the ball by moving it, such as sweeping feet through grass, count as accidental. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.4)
- If the player causes the ball to move before they start to search, they get one penalty stroke under Rule 9.4b. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.4; Rule 9.4b)
- The ball must be replaced on its original spot, which must be estimated if not known. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.4; Rule 14.2)
- A ball that was against a growing or attached natural object must be replaced on its spot against that object. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.4; Rule 14.2c)
- The penalty for breaching Rule 7.4 is the general penalty. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.4, Penalty)
- If sand affecting the lie is moved while finding or identifying the ball, the original lie must be re-created. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1b)
- A ball accidentally moved in a search is replaced without penalty. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.4)
- After moving sand to find the ball, the player re-creates the lie, but may leave a small part of the ball visible. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1b)
- Playing the ball without re-creating the original lie in the sand is the general penalty. (Source: Rules of Golf (2023), Rule 7.1b)

Sources: Rules of Golf, effective January 2023 (The R&A and USGA), Rule 7 and the Definitions (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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