Should there be a penalty for playing a wrong ball?

[John Morrissett]

In Code Two David and I eliminated the penalty for playing a wrong ball. This was a penalty we had taken for granted without ever questioning its appropriateness as it just seemed right for there to be a penalty for a playing a wrong ball. However, as we attempted to question everything with the Rules for this project, one theme that emerged was for there not to be a penalty for an accidental action that does not benefit the player.

In that context, we had to wonder whether it does in fact make sense for there to be a penalty for playing a wrong ball. The player did not intend to play the wrong ball (if he did intent to play a wrong ball, he would be considered to have made a practice stroke) and did not benefit from the act (we do not consider any assistance with club selection or the wind to be significant).

One direct benefit of this change is that the occasionally complicated and often not understood procedure for lifting a ball for identification could be removed from the Rules. As there is no penalty for playing a wrong ball, there is no authority to lift a ball for identification (similar to the pre-2008 treatment of a ball in a hazard, when there was no penalty for playing a wrong ball from a hazard and there was therefore no authority to lift a ball for identification in a hazard).

What do you think of this change?