FootGolf Tips for Beginners: 7 Ways to Score Lower
Published September 27, 2026
Most beginner mistakes in FootGolf are rules and etiquette slips, not bad kicks. The rules below come from the FIFG rulebook, which sets the standard for competition. Casual courses often relax some of them, so check with yours. Penalties are in kicks, added to your score.
1. Wear shoes the course will accept
FIFG rules require shoes designed exclusively for artificial turf or indoor sport. Cleats, golf shoes and traction shoes are not allowed, and wrong footwear can mean disqualification in competition. Our shoe buying guide has options.
2. Tee off inside the zone
The tee zone is a rectangle between the two markers, and the ball must start inside it. A ball touching the line is fine. Teeing off outside the zone costs a kick and you replay the shot. Do not move the tee markers either, which is also a one-kick penalty.
3. Play the ball as it lies
You cannot improve your lie, your stance or your line. Kick from where the ball stopped unless a rule gives you relief. Nudging the ball to a better spot is the classic beginner slip.
4. Handle the flagstick correctly
You may have the flagstick removed, or leave it in, but nobody may hold or attend the flag while you kick. Breaking this costs the person holding it a kick and you a kick. Put the flagstick back in the hole before you leave the green.
5. Keep pace
Play at a good pace and let faster groups through. FIFG's 2025 rulebook sets slow-play limits of 60 seconds for the first player and 40 seconds for the others once the ball stops. Leave the green promptly once everyone has holed out.
6. Know where out of bounds is
Out of bounds is marked by white stakes or lines. A ball touching the line is still in. If yours is out, play again from where you last kicked, with a one-kick penalty.
7. Take the safe kick
This one is general advice rather than a rule. The hole is about five times the width of a golf hole, so a controlled kick that stops close beats a hard one that runs past. Use the inside of your foot for short kicks and save the laces for distance. See the official ball and hole specs for the target you are aiming at.
For the full rules, scoring and etiquette, read our how to play guide.