diff --git a/parso/normalizer.py b/parso/normalizer.py
index 83db7a3..c5d843f 100644
--- a/parso/normalizer.py
+++ b/parso/normalizer.py
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ class Normalizer(object):
         >>> class MyRule(Rule):
         >>>     error_code = 42
         """
+        try:
+            rules = cls.rules
+        except AttributeError:
+            rules = cls.rules = []
+        rules.append(rule)
         return rule
 
     def normalize(self, leaf):
diff --git a/parso/python/normalizer.py b/parso/python/normalizer.py
index 9857d9b..647b1ce 100644
--- a/parso/python/normalizer.py
+++ b/parso/python/normalizer.py
@@ -18,3 +18,7 @@ class PEP8Normalizer(Normalizer):
 
     def iter_errors(self, leaf):
         return iter([])
+
+
+class Rule():
+    pass
diff --git a/parso/python/prefix.py b/parso/python/prefix.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6d3142
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parso/python/prefix.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import re
+
+from parso.tokenize import group
+
+
+class PrefixToken(object):
+    def __init__(self, value, start_pos):
+        self.value = value
+        self.start_pos = start_pos
+
+    @property
+    def end_pos(self):
+        if '\n' in self.value:
+            return self.start_pos[0] + 1, 0
+        return self.end_pos[1]
+
+
+_comment = r'#[^\n\r\f]*'
+_backslash = r'\\\r?\n?'
+_whitespace = r' +'
+_newline = r'\r?\n'
+_form_feed = r'\f'
+
+_regex = group(_comment, _backslash, _whitespace, _newline, _form_feed)
+_regex = re.compile(_regex)
+
+
+_types = {
+    ' ': 'spaces',
+    '#': 'comment',
+    '\\': 'backslash',
+    '\f': 'form_feed',
+    '\n': 'newline',
+    '\r': 'newline'
+}
+
+
+def split_prefix(prefix, start_pos):
+    line, column = start_pos
+    start = 0
+    while start != len(prefix):
+        match =_regex.match(prefix, start)
+        value = match.group(0)
+        yield PrefixToken(value, (line, column + start))
+
+        start = match.end(0)
+        print(start)
+        if '\n' in value:
+            line += 1
+            column = -start
diff --git a/parso/python/tree.py b/parso/python/tree.py
index dbf6855..9d6fa50 100644
--- a/parso/python/tree.py
+++ b/parso/python/tree.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from parso._compatibility import utf8_repr, unicode
 from parso.tree import Node, BaseNode, Leaf, ErrorNode, ErrorLeaf, \
     search_ancestor
 from parso.python import normalizer
+from parso.python.prefix import split_prefix
 
 
 class DocstringMixin(object):
@@ -99,6 +100,9 @@ class PythonMixin(object):
 class PythonLeaf(PythonMixin, Leaf):
     __slots__ = ()
 
+    def _split_prefix(self):
+        return split_prefix(self.prefix, self.start_pos)
+
 
 class _LeafWithoutNewlines(PythonLeaf):
     """
diff --git a/test/test_prefix.py b/test/test_prefix.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0883b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_prefix.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import pytest
+import parso
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(('string', 'tokens'), [
+    ('#', ['#']),
+    (' # ', [' ', '# ']),
+    (' # \n', [' ', '# ', '\n']),
+    (' # \f\n', [' ', '# ', '\f', '\n']),
+    ('  \n', ['  ', '\n']),
+    ('  \n ', ['  ', '\n', ' ']),
+    (' \f ', [' ', '\f', ' ']),
+    (' \f ', [' ', '\f', ' ']),
+    (' \r\n', [' ', '\r\n']),
+    ('\\', ['\\']),
+    ('\\\n', ['\\\n']),
+    ('\\\r\n', ['\\\r\n']),
+])
+def test_simple_prefix_splitting(string, tokens):
+    tree = parso.parse(string)
+    leaf = tree.children[0]
+    assert leaf.type == 'endmarker'
+    parsed_tokens = list(leaf._split_prefix())
+    assert [t.value for t in parsed_tokens] == tokens