Revised Decision Regarding Disqualification for Incorrect Score Card
By The R&A and USGA
Interpreted by Mary Lucas, SAWGA Rules Chair
April 7, 2011

The R&A and the USGA have announced a new interpretation of the rules that apply in limited circumstances not previously contemplated by the Rules of Golf where disqualifications have been caused by score card errors identified as the result of recent advances in video technologies. This revision to Decision 33-7/4.5 addresses the situation where a player is not aware he has breached a Rule because of facts that he did not know and could not reasonably have discovered prior to returning his score card. Under this revised decision and at the discretion of the Committee, the player still receives the penalty associated with the breach of the underlying Rule, but is not disqualified.

In revising the decision, The R&A and the USGA confirm that the disqualification penalty still applies for score card breaches that arise from ignorance of the Rules of Golf. As such, this decision reinforces that it is still the responsibility of the player to know the Rules, while recognizing that there may be some rare situations where it is reasonable that a player is unaware of the factual circumstances of a breach.

This revision to Decision 33-7/4.5 is effective immediately.

Here is the condensed version of the change, written by Mary Lucas, SAWGA's Rules Chair:

The new decision is quite lengthy, and the detail is important, but I have tried to reword it and include the intent as follows:

The R & A and the USGA have announced a new interpretation of the rules that apply in limited circumstances not previously contemplated by the Rules of Golf where disqualification errors identified as the result of recent advances in video technologies. (Rule 33-7, Decision 33-7/4.5)

If a player signs his scorecard with a score lower than he had, he is disqualified. This may occur if he has a penalty and does not add that to the score. In some situations the player may not know that he has incurred a penalty, but this is apparent when a video is reviewed noting a double hit when slow motion video is used, or in the slight movement of the ball when it is replaced on the green that video can detect, but the human eye may not. In these types of situations, the player is given the two stroke penalty, but not the penalty of disqualification.

In revising the decision, the R & A and the USGA confirm that the disqualification penalty still applies for the score card breaches that arise from ignorance of the Rules of Golf. As such this decision reinforces that it is still the responsibility of the player to know the Rules, while recognizing that there may be some rare situations where it is reasonable that a player is unaware f the factual circumstances of a breach.

I think that this covers the main points without giving the detailed information thus cutting the length.

Thanks for putting this on the Website.

Mary Lucas