For purposes of this Rule, a dropped ball is "deliberately deflected or stopped" when:

• A person deliberately touches the ball in motion after it hits the ground, or
• The ball in motion hits any equipment or other object or any person (such as the player's caddie) that a player deliberately positioned or left in a particular location so that the equipment, object or person might deflect or stop the ball in motion.

When a ball dropped in the right way is deliberately deflected or stopped by any person (whether in the relief area or outside the relief area) before it comes to rest:

• The player must drop a ball again, using the procedures in Rule 14.3b (which means that the ball that was deliberately deflected or stopped does not count as one of the two drops required before a ball must be placed under Rule 14.3c(2)).
• If the ball was deliberately deflected or stopped by any player or their caddie, that player gets the general penalty.

Exception - When There Is No Reasonable Chance Ball Will Come to Rest in Relief Area: If a ball dropped in the right way is deliberately deflected or stopped (whether in the relief area or outside the relief area) when there is no reasonable chance it will come to rest in the relief area:

• There is no penalty to any player, and
• The dropped ball is treated as having come to rest outside the relief area and counts as one of the two drops required before a ball must be placed under Rule 14.3c(2).

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place or Playing Ball that was Placed Instead of Dropped in Breach of Rule 14.3: General Penalty under Rule 14.7a.

See Rule 22.2 (in Foursomes, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner is treated as action of the player); 23.5 (in Four-Ball, either partner may act for the side and action by the partner concerning the player's ball or equipment is treated as action of the player).

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