A retractable leash (10, 38) for rolling up and unrolling a leash (12), especially for leading an animal, with a leash roller (13), which is mounted rotatably on a carrier (11) and can be retracted by a retracting device into a rolled-up position, in which the leash (12) is wound up onto the leash roller (13); and with a blocking device for blocking the unrolling of the leash (12) from the leash roller (13), the radius of action of an animal being led can be effectively limited in a gentle and especially jerk-free manner by the blocking device having a brake (17) frictionally engaged with the leash roller (13) even in case of a bolting animal.
