Loose Impediment

Any unattached natural object such as:

• Stones, loose grass, leaves, branches and sticks,
• Dead animals and animal waste,
• Worms, insects and similar animals that can be removed easily, and the mounds or webs they build (such as worm casts and ant hills), and
• Clumps of compacted soil (including aeration plugs).

Such natural objects are not loose if they are:

• Attached or growing,
• Solidly embedded in the ground (that is, cannot be picked out easily), or
• Sticking to the ball.

Note:

• Sand and Loose Soil are not loose impediments – (you cannot sweep away the loose dirt to improve your lie or contact.)
• Dew, Frost and Water are not loose impediments.

Ball Moved When Removing Loose Impediment

If a player’s removal of a loose impediment causes his or her 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)

← Back to previous page