Ball kicked in the process of searching for it..

[J.D.]

Scenario:
It's fall. You have large oak trees lining the fairway, and your partner's tee shot winds up in the rough. Buried under fallen leaves, you are searching for the ball, and in the process of stirring up the ground cover, you accidentally kick the ball from it's resting place. Your partner identifies the ball as his.
Do you replace the ball as closely as possible or do you play the ball as it lies, being moved by outside agency namely me?

[atticusfinch]

Originally Posted by J.D.

Scenario:
It's fall. You have large oak trees lining the fairway, and your partner's tee shot winds up in the rough. Buried under fallen leaves, you are searching for the ball, and in the process of stirring up the ground cover, you accidentally kick the ball from it's resting place. Your partner identifies the ball as his.
Do you replace the ball as closely as possible or do you play the ball as it lies, being moved by outside agency namely me?

Because you were his partner, he incurred a one stroke penalty and it must be replaced. R/ 18-2. None of the exceptions in the rule seem to apply to your situation.

You were not an outside agency, you were part of the match. If you had been an outside agency the ball would not be played as it lies, it would be replaced without penalty. R 18-1.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by J.D.

Scenario:
It's fall. You have large oak trees lining the fairway, and your partner's tee shot winds up in the rough. Buried under fallen leaves, you are searching for the ball, and in the process of stirring up the ground cover, you accidentally kick the ball from it's resting place. Your partner identifies the ball as his.
Do you replace the ball as closely as possible or do you play the ball as it lies, being moved by outside agency namely me?

We need to know for certain if you were his partner, his opponent, or his fellow competitor, as the situation can vary. If indeed you were playing as partners on a team, then AF has it right.... one stroke and replace the ball. If you are using the term partner as loosely as most of the casual golfers I know, and were just playing together, but playing as opponents in a match or as fellow competitors in stroke play , then you are an outside agency and the ball must be replaced, but there is no penalty.

[J.D.]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

We need to know for certain if you were his partner, his opponent, or his fellow competitor, as the situation can vary. If indeed you were playing as partners on a team, then AF has it right.... one stroke and replace the ball. If you are using the term partner as loosely as most of the casual golfers I know, and were just playing together, but playing as opponents in a match or as fellow competitors in stroke play , then you are an outside agency and the ball must be replaced, but there is no penalty.

I was speaking as playing together in casual round. Not partner in competition with.
So FP has the correct interpretation I was looking for.

Thanks,
JD

[petermo]

If the leaves were piled up for removal they would be ground under repair and therefore abnormal ground conditions in which case there would be no penalty even if the player accidentally moved the ball (12-1). However, in that case he would have to either replace it or take relief in terms of rule 25-1.b.