Rules question · Rule 17.1a · Expert
Ball touching the red line: is it in the penalty area?
Your ball lies almost entirely in the rough but is just touching the red line of a penalty area. Where is it?
Answer
In the penalty area
The line is part of the penalty area. If any part of the ball touches the line or the ground inside it, the ball is in the penalty area. Out of bounds works the other way round: a ball is only out of bounds when all of it lies beyond the boundary.
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