Officials' Guide to USGA Rules of Golf for Junior Tournaments (Under 19) 2023

• Where: players resume from where they stopped on a hole or, if between holes, at the next teeing area, even on a later day (Rule 5.7c(1)).
• When: they must be there and ready at the time the Committee sets, and start at (not before) that time. Late or early by up to 5 minutes is the general penalty; otherwise disqualification, unless exceptional circumstances apply (Rule 5.7c(2)). If the group can't restart yet because the group ahead must play first, there's no breach as long as the player is present and ready.
• Ball lifted when play stopped: replace the original or another ball on the original spot, estimated if unknown (Rule 5.7d(1)).
• Ball not lifted: play it as it lies, or mark, lift and replace it on that spot.
• Ball or ball-marker moved while play was stopped (including by natural forces): replace a ball on the original spot (Rule 5.7d(2)).
• Practice: while play is suspended, no practice strokes on the course except putting or chipping on or near the last green, any practice green and the next tee, or where the Committee allows (Rule 5.5c).

Players must start at, and not before, the starting time set by the Committee, which is an exact time (9:00 means 9:00:00) (Rule 5.3a). The penalty for breach is disqualification, except:

If the start is delayed for any reason (weather, slow play, a ruling), there's no breach if the player is present and ready when the group can start.

The same rules apply to resuming after a suspension (Rule 5.7c). Players must also stay in the group the Committee set, unless the Committee approves a change; breach is disqualification (Rule 5.4b).

In match play, players may settle Rules issues by agreement, and the outcome stands even if wrong, as long as they didn't knowingly agree to ignore a Rule or penalty. If a referee is assigned to the match, the referee must rule on any issue that comes to their attention in time, and players must follow it (Rule 20.1b(1)).

A player may request a ruling, or, if no referee or Committee member is available in reasonable time, notify the opponent that a ruling will be sought later (Rule 20.1b(2)). To be considered:

• Facts known before either player starts the final hole: request before either player makes a stroke to begin another hole.
• Facts learned during or after the final hole: request before the result of the match is final.
• About an earlier hole: only if the opponent gave a wrong number of strokes or failed to tell of a penalty, the player didn't know the facts earlier, and the request is made in time.

Late requests get no ruling and the hole result stands. After the result is final, a ruling is given only if the opponent knowingly gave wrong information about strokes or penalties (Rule 20.1b(3)). Players can't play two balls in match play.

A player unsure of the right procedure may complete the hole with two balls (Rule 20.1c(3)). They must decide before making a stroke, should announce which ball they want to count, and must report the facts to the Committee before returning the scorecard, even if both scores are the same. Failure to report is disqualification. If they made a stroke before deciding, the original ball's score counts (no penalty for the second ball).

Deciding the score (Rule 20.1c(4)):

1. The chosen ball counts if the Rules allowed the procedure used for it. (If no choice was announced in time, the ball played first is the chosen ball.)
2. If not, the other ball counts if the Rules allowed its procedure.
3. If neither procedure was allowed, the chosen ball counts, unless it involved a serious breach of playing from a wrong place, in which case the other ball counts.
4. If both involved a serious wrong-place breach, the player is disqualified.

Strokes and penalties solely from the ball that doesn't count are ignored. "Allowed" means the original ball was played as it lies where play was permitted, or the ball was put in play correctly in the right place.

• No deciding by agreement: in stroke play, players may help each other apply the Rules, but any agreement they reach on a Rules issue isn't binding on anyone, including the Committee. Players should raise Rules issues with the Committee before returning their scorecards (Rule 20.1c(1)).
• Protecting the field: if a player knows or believes another player has breached or might have breached the Rules, and that player isn't recognizing it or is ignoring it, they should tell that player, the marker, a referee or the Committee, promptly and before that player returns their card if possible (Rule 20.1c(2)).
• If a player fails to do this, the Committee may disqualify them for serious misconduct (Rule 1.2a).
• Players who agree to ignore a Rule or penalty they know applies are both disqualified (Rule 1.3b(1)).

• Marker refuses to certify a hole score: consider the evidence and decide the score. If the marker still refuses, the Committee may certify it or accept certification from someone else who saw the play. A marker (who is a player) who knowingly certifies a wrong score should be disqualified under Rule 1.2a (Rule 3.3b(1)).
• Player's duties: certify hole scores, make sure the marker certifies, and promptly return the card. Breach is disqualification, unless it was caused by the marker's failure beyond the player's control (Rule 3.3b(2)). Define clearly when a card counts as "returned."
• Wrong hole score: higher score stands; lower or missing score is disqualification. Exception: a lower score only because of a penalty the player didn't know about isn't disqualification; add the penalty strokes if found before the close. This exception doesn't apply if the excluded penalty is disqualification, or if the player was told a penalty might apply and didn't raise it before returning the card (Rule 3.3b(3)).
• Totals and handicaps: the Committee adds up scores and applies handicaps; there's no penalty for player mistakes in these (Rule 3.3b(4)), unless a Local Rule makes the player responsible for the handicap.
• Failure to hole out: disqualification unless corrected before teeing off on the next hole or, on the last hole, before returning the card (Rule 3.3c).

Normally no. A penalty must not be added or corrected once the competition has closed, which is when the result is final in the way the Committee set, or, in stroke-play qualifying before match play, when the player has teed off in their first match (Rule 20.2e(2)).

But a player must be disqualified even after the close if they:

• Returned a score for any hole lower than actually taken, unless it was only because of penalty strokes they didn't know about before the close
• Knew before the close that they had breached any other Rule with a disqualification penalty
• Agreed with another player to ignore a Rule or penalty they knew applied

The Committee may also disqualify for serious misconduct after the close (Rule 1.2).

In match play, there's no time limit on disqualifying for serious misconduct, or for deliberately failing to apply a penalty or agreeing to ignore a Rule (Rule 20.2e(1)).

Wrong ruling (Rule 20.2d(1)): the referee or Committee tried to apply the Rules but did so incorrectly, such as applying the wrong penalty, failing to apply one, or applying a Rule that doesn't apply.

• Correct it if still possible under the Rules. If it's too late, the wrong ruling stands.
• If a player breaches a Rule because of a reasonable misunderstanding of your instruction during the round (for example, lifting a ball when not allowed), there's no penalty and it's treated as a wrong ruling.

Administrative mistake (Rule 20.2d(2)): a procedural error in running the competition, such as miscalculating a stroke-play tie, miscalculating a handicap so the wrong player wins, or awarding a prize to the wrong player. There's no time limit; correct it and amend the results, even after a match is final or a stroke-play competition has closed.

Ineligible player (Rule 20.2f): no time limit; the player is treated as never having entered (not disqualified), and results are amended.

All players are expected to play in the spirit of the game: acting with integrity, showing consideration to others (prompt pace, safety, not distracting others, shouting "fore") and caring for the course (Rule 1.2a).

• No penalty under the Rules for failing to do these things, except that the Committee may disqualify a player for serious misconduct: behavior so far removed from what's expected that removal from the competition is justified.
• Lesser penalties (for example, one stroke or the general penalty) can be given for misconduct only if the Committee has adopted a Code of Conduct as a Local Rule. The Code may also allow disqualification for serious misconduct in breaching its standards (Rule 1.2b).
• Disqualification for serious misconduct has no time limit in match play, and may be applied in stroke play even after the competition has closed (Rule 20.2e).

If you're running a junior event, publish the Code of Conduct, including any penalty structure, in the terms of the competition before play.

• Pace of Play Policy: the Committee should adopt one as a Local Rule. It may set maximum times for a round, a hole, a series of holes and a stroke, with penalties for breaching it (Rule 5.6b(3)).
• Recommendation to players: make each stroke in no more than 40 seconds once able to play without interference, and usually faster (Rule 5.6b(1)).
• Unreasonable delay (Rule 5.6a), with or without a policy: first breach one penalty stroke; second the general penalty; third disqualification. Delay between two holes is applied to the next hole. A short delay is allowed for seeking help from a referee or the Committee, illness or injury, or another good reason.
• Players are encouraged to let faster groups play through, and may play "ready golf" in stroke play when safe (Rules 5.6b, 6.4b(2)).