The short answer. A ball is embedded when it is in its own pitch-mark, made by your previous stroke, with part of the ball below ground level. In the general area, which includes the rough, you may take free relief by dropping a ball within one club-length of the spot right behind where it was embedded, no nearer the hole. There is no relief in bunkers or penalty areas, or in sand in parts of the general area that are not cut to fairway height or less.
Is your ball embedded?
Rule 16.3a sets two conditions, and both must be true.
- It is in its own pitch-mark. The mark has to be the one made by the ball when it landed from your previous stroke. A ball sitting low in a hole it did not make is not embedded.
- Part of it is below ground level. A ball sitting snugly in its mark, with all of it above the surface, is not embedded.
The ball also has to be in the general area. That covers the fairway and the rough, but not a bunker or a penalty area.
Where relief applies
| Where the ball is | Free relief for an embedded ball? |
|---|---|
| Fairway or other closely mown general area | Yes |
| Rough (grass) | Yes |
| Sand in the general area cut to fairway height or less | Yes |
| Sand in the general area not cut to fairway height (for example, sand in the rough) | No |
| Bunker | No |
| Penalty area | No |
| Putting green | Not by dropping: mark, lift and clean the ball, repair the damage and replace it on its original spot |
There is also no relief if playing the ball as it lies is clearly unreasonable because of something else you are not allowed free relief from. A ball embedded in a bush is the standard example.
How to take relief
- Check it is embedded. You may lift the ball to check, but you must mark its spot first, and you may not clean it (the putting green is the exception).
- Find the reference point. It is the spot in the general area right behind where the ball is embedded.
- Measure the relief area. It extends one club-length from the reference point. It must be in the general area and no nearer the hole than the reference point.
- Drop. You may drop the original ball or another ball in the relief area.
Playing from the wrong place carries the general penalty (Rule 14.7a).
Five common mix-ups
- "Only the fairway counts." Not in the standard Rules. The rough is included. The sand exception is the part that is limited to fairway-height areas.
- "A bunker counts if it plugs." It does not. There is no relief under this rule in a bunker or a penalty area.
- "Any ball in the ground is embedded." A ball driven straight into the ground without becoming airborne is not embedded, according to Rule 16.3a(2). If your tee shot buries itself without flight, this rule does not apply.
- "I can clean it to check." You can lift to check, but you must mark the spot first and you cannot clean it off the putting green.
- "The relief is always behind the mark." The reference point is behind the mark. The relief area is measured from that point, one club-length, and only has to be no nearer the hole.
Check the local rules
The R&A allows a committee to adopt a local rule that restricts relief to balls embedded in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less. If your course has adopted it, the rough is excluded. Local rules are usually printed on the scorecard or posted at the first tee.
Questions
Can I take relief for an embedded ball in the rough?
Yes, under the standard Rules, unless it is embedded in sand that is not cut to fairway height, or the committee has adopted the local rule that limits relief to fairway-height areas.
Is a "plugged lie" the same thing?
In everyday use, yes. In the Rules, the test is the one above: in its own pitch-mark, from your previous stroke, with part of the ball below ground level.
Can I lift the ball to check?
Yes. Mark the spot first, and do not clean it.
What if I play from the wrong place?
The general penalty applies (Rule 14.7a).
Last reviewed 6 October 2026 against the 2023 Rules of Golf, Rule 16.3. This is a plain-English summary, not the official text. For the term as part of the broader vocabulary, see the golf glossary. The Embedded design is named after this rule.
