18.1 Relief under Penalty of Stroke and Distance Allowed at Any Time

At any time, a player may take stroke-and-distance relief by adding one penalty stroke and playing the original ball or another ball from where the previous stroke was made (see Rule 14.6).

The player always has this stroke-and-distance relief option:

- No matter where the player’s ball is on the course, AND...
- Even when a Rule requires the player to take relief in a certain way or to play a ball from a certain place.

Once the player puts another ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance (see Rule 14.4):

- The original ball is no longer in play and must not be played.
- This is true even if the original ball is then found on the course before the end of the three-minute search time (see Rule 6.3b).

But this does not apply to a ball to be played from where the previous stroke was made when the player:

- Announces that he or she is playing a provisional ball (see Rule 18.3b),
- Is playing a second ball in stroke play under Rule 14.7b or 20.1c(3).