. Marking Your Ball Congratulations, you made it to the green. Your ball is at rest on the dance floor. The only problem is that your ball is in the way of your fellow competitor's next shot. Now you need to mark the position of your ball and lift it so that it is no longer a distraction. You may have done this task numerous times before, yet a few questions come to mind. Who can mark my ball? Do I always have to be the person to mark it? Where should I place my marker? How far away should the marker be? Rule 20-1 covers most situations regarding marking the placement of your ball on the putting surface. The question of who is allowed to mark and lift your ball is answered within the first sentence of Rule 20-1. A ball to be lifted under the Rules may be lifted by you (the player), your partner, or anyone whom you authorize to mark your ball. Likewise, you or anyone else authorized by you may replace your ball&emdash;even if it is not the same person who originally lifted and marked the position. Furthermore, the topic of where a ball should be marked is also discussed in Rule 20-1. Is it all right to mark a ball to the side or even in front of the ball? According to Decision 20-1/19, there are no restrictions as to the direction in which the ball position shall be marked. However, it is not recommended to place your ball-marker in front of the ball. If in the process of marking your ball you do something to the green, such as patting down a tuft of grass from a spike mark, that might influence the movement of the ball when played, then you could face a penalty for breach of Rule 1-2. What about placing a marker about two inches behind the ball in order to reduce the chance of moving the ball? This act is in violation of the Rules. As stated in Decision 20-1/20, a player who marks their ball two inches behind the ball cannot be considered to have marked the position of the ball with sufficient accuracy. Each time the player marks their ball in this fashion, the player incurs a one-stroke penalty according to Rule 20-1 and they must place the ball as near as possible to the spot from which it was lifted (Rule 20-3c). It is unnecessary to place your ball-marker so far behind the ball because Rule 20-1 states that no penalty in incurred if a player accidentally moved their ball in the act of lifting or marking their ball. For more information regarding marking your ball, refer to Rule 20-1 in the Rule of Golf.