What is the lateral relief option for a ball in a red penalty area?

For a ball in a red penalty area, you can take lateral relief by dropping within two club-lengths of where the ball last crossed the edge, no nearer the hole, for one penalty stroke. This option is only available for red penalty areas, not yellow ones.

How lateral relief works

When your ball is in a red penalty area, you have three relief options, each costing one penalty stroke. The lateral option lets you drop a ball within two club-lengths of the point where your ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area. The relief area can be in any part of the course except the same penalty area, and the dropped ball must not end up nearer the hole than that reference point. You measure the two club-lengths from the reference point, not from the edge of the penalty area itself.

Red vs yellow penalty areas

Lateral relief is the key difference between red and yellow penalty areas. Yellow penalty areas only give you stroke-and-distance or back-on-the-line relief. Red penalty areas add this third option because they're typically lateral hazards — think creeks or ditches running alongside the fairway — where going back on the line would be unfair. The stakes or lines defining the penalty area tell you which color it is: red stakes or lines mean lateral relief is on the table.

Dropping and playing from the relief area

Drop the ball from knee height so it lands in and stays in the two-club-length relief area. If it rolls out, re-drop once; if it rolls out again, place it where it first struck the ground on the second drop. You can clean the ball or substitute another ball when taking this relief. Once the ball is in play from the relief area, you play it as it lies — no special restrictions, just like a ball in the general area.

Exceptions that change the answer

• The ball last crossed the edge of a yellow penalty area → Lateral relief is not allowed; only stroke-and-distance or back-on-the-line relief are available.
• A no-play zone exists inside the penalty area → You must take relief from the no-play zone under Rule 17.1e, which may change your reference point.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take lateral relief from a yellow penalty area?

No. Lateral relief is only for red penalty areas. Yellow penalty areas only offer stroke-and-distance or back-on-the-line relief, each for one penalty stroke.

Where exactly do I measure the two club-lengths from?

From the estimated point where your ball last crossed the edge of the red penalty area. That point is your reference point — measure two club-lengths from there, not from the water's edge or the stakes.

Can the relief area be in a bunker or on the green?

Yes. The relief area can be in any area of the course except the same penalty area, including bunkers, putting greens, or the general area, as long as it's not nearer the hole than the reference point.

What if my ball rolls nearer the hole after I drop it?

Re-drop once. If it rolls nearer the hole again, place it on the spot where it first struck the ground on the second drop. The ball must come to rest in the relief area and not nearer the hole than the reference point.

Do I have to find my ball to take lateral relief?

No. If it's known or virtually certain the ball is in the red penalty area, you can take lateral relief without finding it. You'll play a substituted ball under the same procedure.