Making A Stroke > Searching/Identifying

• A player has 3 minutes to find their ball. Additional time is allowed to reach and identify the ball. Lost and 18.2a(1)  
• Time spent identifying a ball and playing a wrong ball do not count as part of the player's 3 minute search time. 18.2a(1)/1
• Time spent playing a provisional ball does count as part of the player's 3 minute search time. Lost/3
• There is no penalty on anyone for accidentally moving a ball while searching. 7.4
• A ball moved while searching must be replaced. If the exact spot is not known it must be estimated and placed. 7.4
• If loose impediments are moved while searching for a ball, the loose impediments do not need to be replaced. 7.1a
• The conditions affecting the stroke may be improved while fairly searching for a ball. 7.1a
• When a ball is buried in sand, a small portion of the ball may be left visible for the player to see. 7.1b
• A ball may be cleaned only to the extent necessary to identify it. 7.3  
• The ball must be marked before it is lifted to be identified. 7.3