There are several elements to giving a ruling. The first and foremost is that the player gets the correct ruling. On-course Refereeing, should be viewed as a team sport, with the focus on getting the ruling right. If you have any doubt about the ruling, either confirm the answer on radio with the Chief Referee or Rules Lead or call for a second opinion.  

The next is efficiency – the goal is to limit the interaction to what is necessary and appropriate to ensure the ruling is accurate. The remaining elements concern how the ruling is handled: it should be with a calm and helpful demeanor, conducted in a professional manner and closed out with the player(s) involved feeling heard and clear about the outcome. 

• May be helpful to take a deep breath as you enter the ruling to help slow yourself down. 

• Generally, you should go into a ruling with hands free and only with your radio. 

• Be aware of what your body language may be communicating and avoid standing too close to the player. You can have a few yards between you and the player in most situations. 

• Remember that the player is potentially on edge or anxious about the situation – you should not add tension, rather work to de-escalate the situation when necessary. 

• • • This is even more critical when you must insert yourself into the situation versus a player calling you in. 

• • • As you interact with the player, try to pick up on the tone of the situation. For example, if the player is highly stressed, a more neutral tone for interacting may be preferred as opposed to being overly friendly or positive.  

• As much as possible, interact/focus on the player making the ruling, not caddie, other players, or spectators.  

• Start with a friendly “how can I help?” However, if the player did not call you in or request a ruling, this opening is not recommended as the player did not ask for your help. Suggest starting with “Sorry to interrupt, I’m [insert name] a Referee on this hole and I noticed what was going on from where I was. What are you trying to do?”  

• • • Generally, you do not need to introduce yourself when giving a ruling, but when inserting yourself it is a best practice to do so. Another situation when it is best to introduce yourself/identify yourself as a Referee is when you join a ball search.  

• Make sure you’re clear on the facts. Ask questions to get or confirm the necessary information.  

• • • What area of the course does the ball lie in?  

• • • Status of any objects involved and what area of the course are they in? 

• • • What actions the player has already taken? 

• • • What the player would like to do? 

• Avoid making assumptions on what the player would like to do. Ask the player what they would like to do or are trying to do.  

• May be helpful to ask player to repeat what happened. This can buy you a few extra moments to gather your thoughts.  

• • • “Can you tell me that again?” 

• As needed, repeat back to the player the facts of the situation to confirm your understanding. The phrases below may be helpful: 

• • • “Just so I’m clear…” 

• • • “To make sure we’re on the same page…” 

• Answer player’s question(s) directly and concisely. Remember, it is not a Rules workshop and not about Rules education. The player wants answers to their situation and is not interested in detailed Rules explanations. 

• • • Limit Rules speech or language – don’t slash and dash players. In almost all situations, plain language is preferred. For example, “Yes, you can move that twig.” versus “That twig is a loose impediment, and you are allowed to move loose impediments.” 

• • • While we use certain phrases in workshops for education, those phrases do not translate well to rulings and are not to be used. For example, “1+2=2,” “nearest, not nicest point of relief,” or calling a penalty a “discount.” 

• Avoid “I think” or “You should” statements. Don’t suggest what you think the player should do. However, if the player askes about relief or what they can do, you can ask if they would like all available options.  

• Be aware of your positioning:  

• • • Take note of the situation as you approach to determine areas you want to avoid. 

• • • Avoid walking on putting greens or entering bunkers, unless necessary. 

• • • Avoid standing in potential relief area(s). 

• • • You can generally have a couple yards between you and the player. 

• • • Ensure you are positioned to see what you need to while staying out of the player’s way. 

• • • For example, that measuring is not closer to the hole, drop is done in the right way and in the relief area.  

• • • If driving a cart to a ruling, park the cart at least 10 yards away to avoid it interfering with relief or play and walk into the ruling. Park the cart such that you’ll have an easy exit from the situation when the ruling is complete without distracting any players. 

• Be aware of players nearby and the order of play. Avoid interpreting or distracting them with your voice or positioning. This may require a brief delay before getting to a ruling, pausing your ruling, etc.  

• If a player gets a penalty make sure the player is aware of the penalty, knows to include it on the scorecard.  

• • • If the player is aware of the penalty (for example, assisting with penalty area relief), no need to tell the player of the penalty. 

• • • Avoid any suggestion that the penalty is better than it could have been. For example, in a wrong ball situation in stroke play, don’t suggest that the two penalty strokes are better than the disqualification if the player hadn’t corrected the mistake in time.  

• Close out ruling with player so the interaction feels complete. For example: 

• • • “Anything else I can help with?” 

• • • “Alright, relief is complete.” 

• • • “You’re good to go.” 

• • • “Ball is properly back in play.” 

• When exiting ruling, be aware of surroundings and avoid disrupting any players with your movements, which could mean waiting for a player (the player you were working with or another player in the group) to play prior to exiting.  

• After ruling is completed, complete digital rules incident form in a timely manner.