Can you move leaves, stones and rakes in golf?
I · Intermediate · Free relief and dropping the ball · 14 of 16A loose impediment is a loose natural object, such as a leaf, a stone or a twig. A movable obstruction is an artificial one, such as a rake or a bottle. Both may be removed anywhere without penalty. If the ball moves when a loose impediment is removed off the green, it costs one stroke.
How it works
Loose impediments:
- Stones, loose grass, leaves, branches, sticks, dead animals and their droppings, worms, insects and clumps of compacted soil.
- Not loose impediments: anything attached or growing, anything solidly embedded, anything sticking to the ball, sand and loose soil, dew, frost and water.
- Snow and natural ice may be treated as loose impediments or as temporary water, as the player chooses.
- They may be removed anywhere, in any way, including in a bunker or a penalty area.
- If the ball moves: it is replaced. Off the putting green and outside the teeing area the player gets one penalty stroke.
Movable obstructions:
- Any artificial object that can be moved with reasonable effort and without damage: rakes, bottles, towels, signs, golf carts.
- They may be removed anywhere. If the ball moves, it is replaced and there is no penalty.
- A ball lying in or on one, such as on a towel: lift the ball, remove the object and drop the ball below where it lay. On the green, place it.
Limits:
- Tee-markers must not be moved before playing from that teeing area.
- Nothing may be removed to affect a ball that is in motion.
- Before putting back a lifted ball, a player must not remove a loose impediment that would probably have made the ball move had it been removed earlier.
Tricky cases
Can a player remove a stone from a bunker?
Yes. Loose impediments may be removed in a bunker, and touching the sand in a reasonable way while doing so is allowed.
Is sand on the fairway a loose impediment?
No. Sand and loose soil are not loose impediments. They may be brushed away only on the putting green.
A ball rests against a rake and rolls away when the rake is lifted. What happens?
No penalty. The ball is put back on its spot.
Why the rule exists
The Rules say these loose objects "are not treated as part of the challenge of playing the course". The penalty for a ball moved by clearing natural debris keeps a player careful around it.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rules of Golf | As above | G 15.1; G 15.2 |
| Putting green and teeing area | No penalty if the ball moves when a loose impediment is removed | G 15.1b |
From the rule book
The R&A and USGA Rules of Golf, Rules 11.3, 12.2a, 13.1c, 15.1 and 15.2, and the Definitions of loose impediment, movable obstruction and obstruction. Effective January 2023. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: Rules of Golf (PDF).