| RULE: | | New in 2019: | | (Old Rule:) | |
 | Ball accidentally moved during search | | Put the ball back in the estimated original spot, no penalty | | 1 stroke penalty | |
 | Ball accidentally moved on the putting green | | Put the ball back in the estimated original spot, no penalty | | 1 stroke penalty (with exceptions) | |
 | Replacing ball when original spot not known | | Put the ball back in the estimated original spot, even if on, under, or against natural objects | | Drop as near to estimated spot as possible | |
 | Ball in motion accidentally deflected by you, caddie, or equipment | | No penalty, play ball as it lies | | 1 stroke penalty | |
 | Accidentally hit the ball more than once during a stroke | | No penalty | | 1 stroke penalty | |
 | How to drop a ball | | Straight down from player’s knee height | | At arm’s length from player’s shoulder height | |
 | How to measure size of relief area | | Measure 1 or 2 club-lengths using longest club, other than putter | | Measure 1 or 2 club-lengths using any club | |
 | Time allowed for ball search | | 3 minutes | | 5 minutes | |
 | Substituting ball when taking relief | | Will always be allowed to substitute a ball | | Only allowed under certain conditions, like if ball is unrecoverable | |
 | Where a dropped ball must come to rest | | Must come to rest in relief area; if doesn’t after 2 tries, place the ball where first touched ground on 2nd try | | Must play where it comes to rest, even if not in relief area, with 9 exceptions | |
 | Relief for embedded ball | | No penalty for ball embedded anywhere in the “general area”, except sand, unless Local Rule restricts to fairway height or less | | Relief allowed only in areas cut to fairway height or less (except sand), unless Local Rule allows relief anywhere | |
 | Ball moves on putting green | | Ball must be replaced on original spot, even if moved by wind | | Ball replaced only if moved by a player, caddie, animal | |
 | Repairing damage on green | | May repair almost any damage, even from spike marks and animals, except for natural imperfections | | May repair only ball-marks or old hole plugs | |
 | Touching line of play | | No penalty for merely touching green | | Prohibited, with exceptions,loss of hole/2-stroke penalty | |
 | Unattended flagstick | | No penalty, option to remove | | Loss of hole/2-stroke penalty if ball hits flagstick | |
 | Touching sand in bunker | | No penalty to move debris or touch sand; except can’t touch sand with club around ball, test sand, make practice swing, or in backswing of stroke. | | Loss of hole/2-stroke penalty (with exceptions) | |
 | Unplayable ball in bunker | | May take relief outside bunker back on the line from the hole, 2 penalty strokes | | No relief option (other than from previous stroke) | |
 | Penalty area definition expanded | | Red and yellow marked “penalty areas” now cover water, and also desert, jungle, lava rock, thick woods, etc | | Committee can only mark an area of water as “water hazard” | |
 | Expanded use of red-marked penalty area | | Committees now able to mark all penalty areas as red so that lateral relief always allowed (but can still use yellow when appropriate) | | All water hazards marked yellow (with exceptions) | |
 | Touching ground in penalty area | | No penalty to move debris, touch ground/water with hand or club | | Loss of hole/2-stroke penalty (with exceptions) | |
 | Opposite side relief for red penalty areas | | Not allowed, unless Local Rule | | Always allowed | |
 | Use of damaged club | | Can continue to be used, even if it was damaged in anger | | Only if it was damaged in “normal course of play” | |
 | Replacing damaged club | | Can’t replace a damaged club if you are responsible for the damage | | Club you damaged was out of play and not replaced | |
 | Distance-measuring devices | | Allowed, unless a Local Rule prohibits their use | | Prohibited, unless a Local Rule allows | |
 | Caddie helping player | | Not allowed to stand behind player to help with alignment once stance is taken | | Allowed to stand behind player during stance, but not when making the stroke | |
 | Caddie lifting ball | | May lift and replace ball on green, even without your permission | | 1 stroke penalty, if done without player’s permission | |
 | Encouraging Pace of Play | | Player should make stroke in no more than 40 seconds | | No recommendations given | |
 | Playing out of turn | | Allowed if done safely and responsibly, “ready golf” is encouraged | | Allowed, but rule not clear | |
 | “Maximum score” alternative in stroke play | | Score maximum set by Committee - may be fixed, related to par, or related to the player’s handicap | | Must hole out at every hole or disqualified | |
 | Standards of conduct | | Players expected to play in the spirit of the game; can be disqualified for serious misconduct | | Etiquette section published, wasn’t part of the Rules | |
 | Code of player conduct | | Committee can set own standards for conduct, and can set penalties or disqualification | | Could disqualify for serious breach of etiquette, but lesser penalties not allowed | |
 | Intent to lift a ball | | With good reason, can mark and lift ball to identify and examine; no need to first announce intention | | Must announce intent and give opportunity to observe | |
 | Substitution for damaged ball | | Only allowed if cut or cracked | | Allowed if cut, cracked, or “out of shape” | |
 | Player’s reasonable judgment | | When determining a spot, point, line, area, or other location, reasonable judgment is accepted, even if later shown to be wrong from video | | Player penalized if wrong estimate made | |
 | New Local Rule: Alternative to stroke-and-distance relief | | If in effect, alternative for ball lost outside of penalty area or out of bounds; 2 stroke penalty (click diagram for details) | | Stroke-and-distance relief, play from previous spot; 1 stroke penalty | |