Further clarifications on lost ball:
- You cannot “declare” a ball lost—Nothing a player says will render their ball lost.
- BUT you do NOT have to search for it. If you’re in a match, your opponents can go searching!
- The ball is lost if it has not been identified with 5 minutes.
- The ball is lost if the player puts another ball in play (not declaring it a provisional).
- You cannot use a provisional ball for a ball found and deemed unplayable---Provisional balls can only be used for lost balls or balls out of bounds.