Under Rule 6-7, the player must play “without undue delay and in accordance with pace-of-play guidelines.” A group is out of position when it completes play on a hole later than the maximum allowable time under those guidelines. If a group gets out of position due to a ruling or some other legitimate delay, the group is expected to regain its position within a reasonable time.
A player is permitted a maximum of 40 seconds to play a stroke, with the first player in the grouping allowed an extra 10 seconds. A player is given a warning for their first “bad time.” A second bad time automatically incurs a one-stroke penalty. A third bad time incurs an additional two-stroke penalty, and the penalty for a fourth bad time is disqualification.
See Rule 6-7 and related Decisions for more.