Ball Moves in Soft Fairway

This thread got me thinking about this as well... You are in the fairway and the ground is a bit soft or the grass is a bit tall...you touch the grass behind the ball and it moves the ball...

Q. A player's ball is at rest. He rests his club on the grass immediately behind the ball and the ball moves. What is the ruling?

A. If the grass had been compressed to the point where it would support the weight of the club, the club is considered grounded. Therefore, the player has addressed the ball and Rule 18-2b applies. The player incurs a one-stroke penalty and must replace his ball unless it is known or virtually certain that some other agency (e.g., a dog or wind) caused the ball to move.

If the grass had not been compressed to the point where it would support the weight of the club, the player has not grounded his club and, therefore, has not addressed his ball. The player incurs no penalty under Rule 18-2b , but he is subject to penalty under Rule 18-2a if the player's actions caused the ball to move. (New)

Different problem. Why not start a different thread?

Basically, you get the penalty either way in this case, because you were the cause of the ball moving.  The only question is whether the penalty is assessed for breach of 18-2a or 18-2b.  If you touch or compress the grass behind the ball it's pretty much a given that it was your act which caused the movement.  You must replace the ball and add a penalty stroke.  Failure to replace the ball would cancel the one stroke penalty and you would receive a two stroke penalty as described in Rule 20-7 for playing from a wrong place.

The 2 stoke penalty comes from the general penalty of Rule 18 not 20-7

*PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:

Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

*If a player who is required to replace a ball fails to do so, or if he makes a stroke at a ball substituted under Rule 18 when such substitution is not permitted, he incurs the general penalty for breach of Rule 18 , but there is no additional penalty under this Rule.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rulesman

The 2 stoke penalty comes from the general penalty of Rule 18 not 20-7

*PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:

Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

*If a player who is required to replace a ball fails to do so, or if he makes a stroke at a ball substituted under Rule 18 when such substitution is not permitted, he incurs the general penalty for breach of Rule 18 , but there is no additional penalty under this Rule.

20-7c says:

Hopefully you read the rules more carefully than you read what I wrote above.  I didn't say that the penalty was incurred under rule 20-7.  I said that the penalty procedure was described in Rule 20-7.  Since he played from a wrong place, you start there to determine the proper procedure and penalty.

You actually said the penalty was described. No mention of a procedure.