diff --git a/ansiblelater/rules/ansiblefiles.py b/ansiblelater/rules/ansiblefiles.py
index f566b52..2593cdc 100644
--- a/ansiblelater/rules/ansiblefiles.py
+++ b/ansiblelater/rules/ansiblefiles.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import os
 
 from collections import defaultdict
 from ansiblelater import Result, Error
+from ansiblelater.utils import count_spaces
 from ansiblelater.utils.rulehelper import (get_normalized_tasks,
                                            get_normalized_yaml)
 
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ def check_braces_spaces(candidate, settings):
     yamllines, errors = get_normalized_yaml(candidate, settings)
     description = "no suitable numbers of spaces (required: 1)"
 
-    lineno = 0
+    lineno = 1
     matches = []
     braces = re.compile("{{(.*?)}}")
 
@@ -24,29 +25,9 @@ def check_braces_spaces(candidate, settings):
                     matches.append((item, lineno))
 
         for item, lineno in matches:
-            error_count = 0
-            string_length = len(item)
-            strip_length = item.rstrip()
+            leading, trailing = count_spaces(item)
 
-            if strip_length == 0 and not string_length == 1:
-                error_count += 1
-            else:
-                x = 0
-                leading_spaces = 0
-                while (x < string_length - 1 and item[x].isspace()):
-                    x += 1
-                    leading_spaces += 1
-
-                x = string_length - 1
-                trailing_spaces = 0
-                while (x > 0 and item[x].isspace()):
-                    x -= 1
-                    trailing_spaces += 1
-
-                if not leading_spaces == 1 or not trailing_spaces == 1:
-                    error_count += 1
-
-            if not error_count == 0:
+            if not leading == 1 or not trailing == 1:
                 errors.append(Error(lineno, description))
     return Result(candidate.path, errors)
 
diff --git a/ansiblelater/utils/__init__.py b/ansiblelater/utils/__init__.py
index 862a0d9..208b540 100644
--- a/ansiblelater/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/ansiblelater/utils/__init__.py
@@ -41,6 +41,23 @@ def info(message, settings, file=sys.stdout):
         print(stringc("INFO: %s" % message, 'green'), file=file)
 
 
+def count_spaces(c_string):
+    leading_spaces = 0
+    trailing_spaces = 0
+
+    for i, e in enumerate(c_string):
+        if not e.isspace():
+            break
+        leading_spaces += 1
+
+    for i, e in reversed(list(enumerate(c_string))):
+        if not e.isspace():
+            break
+        trailing_spaces += 1
+
+    return((leading_spaces, trailing_spaces))
+
+
 def get_property(prop):
     currentdir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
     parentdir = os.path.dirname(currentdir)