A ball in leaves, and a timing trap
A ball finishes among autumn leaves. You clear a few to locate it, mark its spot, lift it because its identifying mark is hidden, and then remove the leaves it had been resting on before replacing it. That final step may cost one penalty stroke, despite the general permission to remove loose natural objects.
A 2 November 2026 rules Q&A from Japan's GDO illustrates the situation. We checked the reasoning against The R&A's Rule 7 and Rule 15. This is an explanation of existing Rules, not a newly introduced 2026 amendment.
What is permitted while the ball is still in place?
Unattached fallen leaves are normally loose impediments. Rule 15.1a generally permits their removal anywhere on or off the course, including a bunker or penalty area. However, if removing one causes a ball at rest to move outside the putting green or teeing area, Rule 15.1b normally requires replacing the ball and adding one penalty stroke, subject to exceptions such as reasonable searching under Rule 7.4.
If a ball might be yours but cannot be identified as it lies, Rule 7.3 allows you to lift it for identification. Mark its spot first, clean no more than necessary to identify it (except on the putting green), then replace the ball on its original spot.
Why the leaves underneath matter
Exception 1 to Rule 15.1a deals with the interval after a ball has been lifted or moved from outside the putting green and before it is replaced. During that interval, you may not deliberately remove a loose impediment that would likely have caused the ball to move had it been removed while the ball was still resting there.
Leaves directly supporting the ball are a clear example. Removing them before replacing the ball incurs one penalty stroke. The leaves themselves need not be restored, but the ball must still be replaced correctly. This is not a blanket prohibition on every leaf near a lifted ball: the question is whether removing that particular object would likely have moved the ball when it was at rest.
A practical sequence
Find the position of the ball and move nearby loose leaves carefully. If identification is genuinely necessary, mark and lift the ball, then replace it without deliberately clearing the leaves that had supported it. Once the ball is back, you may remove other leaves carefully as long as you do not move it. Different exceptions apply on the putting green.
Do not confuse accidental movement during a reasonable search (Rule 7.4: normally no penalty, replace the ball) with deliberately clearing supporting leaves while the ball is lifted (Rule 15.1a: one stroke). A referee or the Committee determines disputed cases in a competition under Rule 20.2.
Sources: GDO, 2 November 2026; The R&A, Rule 7; The R&A, Rule 15.
