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SOPGA Jr. Rules – Penalty Areas

Overview-Penalty Areas

Penalty areas are defined under Rule 17 in the USGA Rule Book. There are two different types of penalty areas, red and yellow. It is also important to note that penalty areas are different from out of bounds and is not treated the same as out of bounds.

Common Questions

What is a penalty area?

Penalty areas are bodies of water or other areas defined by the Committee where a ball is often lost or unable to be played. For one penalty stroke, you may use specific relief options to play a ball from outside the penalty area. Also defined in Rule 17 of the USGA Rulebook

When is my ball considered to be in a penalty area?

Your ball is in a penalty area when any part of it lies on or touches the ground or anything else inside the edge of the penalty area or is above the edge or any other part of the penalty area.

What if I do not find my ball in a penalty area?

If it is known or virtually certain that a ball entered a penalty area, you may proceed under penalty area relief, even if you did not find your ball. However, if it is not known or if you are not certain, you have to proceed under stroke and distance relief, you cannot take penalty relief if you do not know or are not virtually certain the ball came to rest in a penalty area. 



Do I have to take relief from a penalty area?

No, you do not. If you have found your ball in a penalty area, you are allowed to try to play the ball from its current position without a penalty.

Red Penalty Area

These are penalty areas that are defined by red stakes or a red line painted on the ground. Local rules can also be put in place that will make parts of the general area (wooded areas, tall grass, etc.) considered a red penalty area. It is important to always know local rules while you are playing a course. You have three options for relief from a red penalty area. These options are:

  • Stroke and distance relief: this option has the player replay the shot from where they last played under a one stroke penalty.
  • Back-on-the-line relief: this option has the player draw a line from where the ball last crossed the penalty are in line with the flag stick. The player is able to go as far back on this line as they would like and drop within one club length of the desired spot, no closer to the hole, under a one stroke penalty.
  • Lateral relief: this option has the player take two club lengths from where the ball last crossed the penalty area line, no closer to the hole under a one stroke penalty.

Click here to watch the SOPGA Rules School video to see red penalty area relief options.

Yellow Penalty Area

These are penalty areas that are defined by yellow stakes or a yellow painted line on the ground. Yellow penalty areas are used to mark penalty areas that require the player to hit over them when playing towards a green (ie: a pond in front of a green that you hit over from the fairway). Unlike red penalty areas, players only have two options for relief for a ball that is in a yellow penalty area. These options are:

  • Stroke and distance relief: this option has the player replay the shot from where they last played under a one stroke penalty.
  • Back-on-the-line relief: this option has the player draw a line from where the ball last crossed the penalty are in line with the flag stick. The player is able to go as far back on this line as they would like and drop within one club length of the desired spot, no closer to the hole, under a one stroke penalty.

Click here to watch the SOPGA Rules School video to see yellow penalty area relief options.