Page type: Glossary / definition
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Meaning
In Play describes the status of a ball that lies on the course and is being used for the hole. It begins when the player makes a stroke from the teeing area, subject to the match-play exception for a stroke made outside it.
How it matters in match play
In a match, a ball played from outside the Teeing Area is still in play if the opponent does not promptly cancel the stroke under Rule 6.1b. If the opponent cancels it, that ball is not in play and the player must start again from the teeing area. Once in play, the ball remains so until holed, lifted, lost, out of bounds or replaced by another ball.
Table
| Quick reference | Detail |
|---|---|
| Term | In Play |
| Category | rules |
| Applicable rule | Rules of Golf, Rule 6.1b; Rule 6.2b(3); Rule 6.3 |
| Related concepts | Ball at Rest, Ball in Motion, Stroke, Teeing Area, Wrong Ball |
Worked example
Alex's tee shot from inside the teeing area makes his ball in play; when it finishes 2 metres from the hole, he may mark and lift it, but it becomes in play again when replaced.
Rule reference: Rules of Golf, Rule 6.1b; Rule 6.2b(3); Rule 6.3
Sources: www.randa.org , www.usga.org
Common questions
When does a golf ball become in play?
It becomes in play when the player makes a stroke at it from inside the teeing area. In match play, a stroke made outside the teeing area also puts the ball in play if the opponent does not cancel the stroke under Rule 6.1b.
Does lifting a ball take it out of play?
Yes. A ball is no longer in play when it is lifted from the course. It becomes in play again when it is correctly replaced, or when a ball is dropped or placed under an applicable relief procedure.
Is a ball played out of bounds still in play?
No. A ball is no longer in play when it comes to rest out of bounds. The player must use the applicable Rules procedure, usually stroke-and-distance relief under Rule 18, and the replacement ball becomes the ball in play after the required stroke or drop.
What happens if another ball is substituted?
The original ball is no longer in play, even if the substitution was not allowed by a Rule. The player must correct the mistake where required and continue with the substituted ball, subject to any applicable penalty.
Is a ball-marker itself in play?
No. A ball-marker marks the spot of a ball. If the ball has not been lifted, it remains in play; after the ball is lifted and correctly replaced, the ball is in play even if the marker has not yet been removed.
What is a wrong ball?
A wrong ball is any ball other than the player's ball in play, an eligible provisional ball, or a second ball played in stroke play under a specific Rule. Playing a wrong ball can produce a penalty and does not count as the stroke at the correct ball.