Re: Hitting the flag stick or attendant

17-3/2 Opponent or Fellow-Competitor Attending Flagstick for Player Fails to Remove It; Player's Ball Strikes
Flagstick
Q. A requests B, his opponent or a fellow-competitor, to attend the flagstick, and B complies. A putts too firmly and B fails to remove the flagstick. A's ball strikes the flagstick. What is the ruling?
A. If B failed to remove the flagstick for the purpose of causing A to incur a penalty, B is disqualified in both match play and stroke play for a serious breach of Rule 1-2. In stroke play, in equity (Rule 1-4), A must replay the stroke without penalty.
If B's failure to remove the flagstick was for the purpose of preventing A's ball from going beyond the flagstick and not for the purpose of causing A to incur a penalty, in match play B lost the hole under Rule
1-2 when he failed to remove the flagstick before A's ball reached the hole. The fact that A's ball subsequently struck the flagstick (a breach of Rule 17-3a) is irrelevant since B had already lost the hole. In stroke play, B incurs a penalty of two strokes under Rule 1-2, and A incurs the same penalty under Rule 17-3a.
If B's failure to remove the flagstick was not deliberate, e.g., the flagstick stuck in the socket or B was distracted and did not see A putt, A incurs a penalty of loss of hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play under Rule 17-3. B incurs no penalty.

Re: Hitting the flag stick or attendant

Thank you! Does this also include the attendant?

Re: Hitting the flag stick or attendant

In the ruling above 'B' (the opponent or fellow competitor) is the attendant.
Are you meaning the attendant might be the caddy of one of the players ?

Re: Hitting the flag stick or attendant

Yes a caddie or just another player on another team. I think I understand the sprit of the ruling is to not cause your opponent a penalty on purpose.