Rules - Stroke Play vs. Match Play

by Craig Winter, Manager of Rules Education

As a Rules Official during the Oregon Amateur, my duties are dramatically reduced once stroke play qualifying has been completed.  Now that we have reached match play, I felt it would be a good opportunity to lay down the fundamental difference as to how the Rules of Golf are written with regards to stoke play and match play formats.

If a player is to break a Rule of Golf during stroke play qualifying, the Rules must prevail as his actions will affect the entire field.  In match play, the two competitors are present the entire round and have a direct interest in protecting their own interests throughout the play of the match.  In fact, in match play (I’ll cover a refereed match on my Day 4 blog posting) even if a Rules Official was to see a breach of the Rules they cannot intervene unless either asked by one of the players or there is a claim filed (claims will be covered in a post later today).  Decision USGA/34-3/100 reads in part:

"In the absence of a referee, a Committee has no authority to intervene in match play unless there is a reason to believe Rule 1-3 (Agreement to Waive Rules) is being infringed or a breach of Rule 6-7 (Undue Delay; Slow Play) is involved.  When there is no referee, the players must protect their own rights . . . by making a claim . . . and by referring to the Committee any dispute they cannot resolve."

Most golfers are far more familiar with stoke play and the associated Rules that govern its play.  Stroke play is the format used for the majority of tournament play, club events, and most friendly games.  The primary difference between the two formats is that in stroke play every competitor in the event has an interest in every other competitor’s play (if you score a hole-in-one or incur a penalty, this effects your position in relation to all competitors in the event).  The Rules are in force and Rules Officials must act on any breach to protect the entire field (see Day 2 – The Playoff blog posting for a great example).  In match play you are playing only your opponent.  This is such a fundamental difference that the Committee must not combine the two forms of play.  Rule 33-1 states:

Certain specific Rules governing stroke play are so substantially different from those governing match play that combining the two forms of play is not practicable and is not permitted.  The result of a match played in these circumstances is null and void and, in the stroke-play competition, the competitors are disqualified.

The best Rule to clarify the differences between the two formats is Rule 11-4 (Playing from Outside the Teeing Ground).  During stroke play, Rule 11-4b reads:

"If a competitor, when starting a hole, plays a ball from outside the teeing ground, he incurs a penalty of two stokes and must play a ball from within the teeing ground.  If a competitor makes a stroke from the next teeing ground without first correcting his mistake or, in the case of the last hole of the round, leaves the putting green without first declaring his intention to correct his mistake, he is disqualified."

During match play, Rule 11-4a reads:

"If a player, when starting a hole, plays a ball from outside the teeing ground, there is no penalty, but the opponent may immediately require the player to cancel the stroke and play a ball from within the teeing ground."

A player in stroke play can gain a significant advantage over the field from playing from outside the teeing ground.  To take this concept to the extreme, without a penalty of disqualification for not correcting my mistake, I would begin the play on the lip of every hole being played (the Rules make no differentiation between a few inches in front of the teeing ground or 300 yards), receive a two stroke penalty and score a three on every hole.  The other players competing in the event would be hard pressed to beat my score of 54!

In match play, if a player plays from outside the teeing ground, the opponent has sole authority to recall the stroke.  If I was to hit from outside the teeing ground and slice it into tall grass my opponent must immediatly make a decision to have me play again and cancel my stroke or allow me to proceed and try my luck with a good or bad lie in the grass without penalty.

In addition, in match play, because you are only interested in your match, you may concede (or give) your opponent his next stroke if his ball is at rest, Rule 2-4:

"A player may concede his opponent’s next stroke at any time, provided the opponent’s ball is at rest.  The opponent is considered to have holed out with his next stroke, and the ball may be removed by either side."

In stroke play, because the entire field is interested in the outcome of your groups play, you must hole out on every hole.  The penalty for not holing out is disqualification, Rule 3-2.

"If a competitor fails to hole out at any hole and does not correct his mistake before he makes a stroke on the next teeing ground or, in the case of the last hole of the round, before he leaves the putting green, he is disqualified."