Defenders want advantage

[one]

This happens to me a few times a season. Was wondering if you have similar.

An attacker is fouled but retains possession (usually unchallenged) but in a worse off position than a free kick. I blow for a free kick and one or more defenders bow up saying play advantage ref.

My response is the same every time, the very fact that you as a defender are keen to play advantage means there is no advantage or even the opposite of it. They don't seem to understand the concept.

 

[Ciley Myrus]

not sure but you do tend to hear "but he still has the ball ref" a fair bit....

 

[Justylove]

Yep, they don't seem to realise that possession is not necessarily advantage

 

[Sheffields Finest]

You'll never win, I've even had it from different members from the same team, you blow for a foul, some are happy for the FK, some wanted the play on advantage!!! Either way, they're not happy!!!

 

[Ciley Myrus]

You'll never win, I've even had it from different members from the same team, you blow for a foul, some are happy for the FK, some wanted the play on advantage!!! Either way, they're not happy!!!

Safe refereeing is of course the free kick. You always have that to fall back on
As discussed on here lots, will you actually play more than one solid sure fire advantage esp at edge of box in a game? Probably not.

 

[RobOda]

I blow for a free kick and one or more defenders bow up saying play advantage ref.

I'm not fussed about that, I'd only be concerned if the attacking team are bemoaning it at the same time, as that would suggest that perhaps I am blowing the whistle too early, or that both teams wish to play more robust football, but it's very unusual to get an attacking team complaining about that in my experience unless you genuinely missed an advantage opportunity.

But to answer your question, no, I haven't had any defending teams demand the advantage be played for the opposition. Not yet anyway.

 

[bester]

Players often just want the game to continue, it's not really about whether they think there's a real advantage.

It's why the 70-year-old who doesn't see any small fouls and just lets most things go is well liked by certain times.

 

[Ciley Myrus]

Here is one for folk to think about..... pre match, all good, manager comes for a quick word and says "ref, any fouls like 30 yards from goal, we would rather the free kick than you tried to play it on".......

Now, given an advantage ideally has to be as so, an actual advantage, and not just a play on, and, the team are set piece experts or have a Roberto Carlos/Stuart Pearce/David Beckham or their version of.... and they are giving you a heads up that the best advantage you can give them is the free kick should it happen in the game.....

Does it change your thinking as to what you would do during the game????

 

[one]

To be clear, the defenders are upset because they were disadvantaged by me not playing advantage. They think because the attacker retained possession and control, I am obliged to play advantage.

Advantage for me is simple, I try to see things from the attackers view point the best I can (I don't always get it right but I try).

• Attackers are in a better off situation than having a free kick, I play advantage. This happens once or twice a game.
• Attacker are in a worse off position, I give the free kick.
• Neither better nor worse, it's keep playing without advantage signal and sometimes a "I saw that" so that the offender or the fouled player know what I am doing. There are times I want to stop play for control reasons.

Does it change your thinking as to what you would do during the game????

How a team/player plays always impacts my advantage decision. As the law asks, does the team benefit from playing advantage? Less likely if they have a free kick specialist.

 

[Ciley Myrus]

To be clear, the defenders are upset because they were disadvantaged by me not playing advantage. They think because the attacker retained possession and control, I am obliged to play advantage.

Advantage for me is simple, I try to see things from the attackers view point the best I can (I don't always get it right but I try).

• Attackers are in a better off situation than having a free kick, I play advantage. This happens once or twice a game.
• Attacker are in a worse off position, I give the free kick.
• Neither better nor worse, it's keep playing without advantage signal and sometimes a "I saw that" so that the offender or the fouled player know what I am doing. There are times I want to stop play for control reasons.

How a team/player plays always impacts my advantage decision. As the law asks, does the team benefit from playing advantage? Less likely if they have a free kick specialist.

My own thinking has changed over the years, it used to be along lines of, defensive, no, midfield, maybe........attacking, yes if I could
Now its more for me, advantage in midfield and attacking i tend to just keep it simple and give the free kick.
Nothing set in stone of course!!

 

[RobOda]

Does it change your thinking as to what you would do during the game????

To take it to a ridiculous extreme:

Sure, I'd allow the challenge to go unpunished, to watch as they tap the ball into the net, then blow the whistle and bring it back for a free-kick.

"But ref, advantage?"

"You said you didn't want it."

In all seriousness; No, I won't let them influence me on that, because then I think I would have to be giving every little thing from 30 yards out for the other team as well or I'll look incredibly inconsistent. And then, what if their dead ball specialists are having a bad day? When will they suddenly turn on me for stopping a genuine advantage for a freekick they'll put up a tree again?

I'll go with my best judgement on the matter and see how the situation develops - but then, I love playing the advantage, it's my favourite thing to do, so to rein that in would go against my refereeing style I think.

 

[Ciley Myrus]

To take it to a ridiculous extreme:

Sure, I'd allow the challenge to go unpunished, to watch as they tap the ball into the net, then blow the whistle and bring it back for a free-kick.

"But ref, advantage?"

"You said you didn't want it."

In all seriousness; No, I won't let them influence me on that, because then I think I would have to be giving every little thing from 30 yards out for the other team as well or I'll look incredibly inconsistent. And then, what if their dead ball specialists are having a bad day? When will they suddenly turn on me for stopping a genuine advantage for a freekick they'll put up a tree again?

I'll go with my best judgement on the matter and see how the situation develops - but then, I love playing the advantage, it's my favourite thing to do, so to rein that in would go against my refereeing style I think.

So as referee you are choosing for the team what is an actual advantage, even though they have made it clear what the best advantage is FOR THEM??

I do agree it takes us onto thin ice because someone could relate it to other match control issues, I do get that
But surely its not for us to deny a team an advantage that they have already made it clear they wish to benefit from? Its their right to a free kick when a player is fouled and the laws are there to benefit a team who have been fouled?

 

[Sam_C]

This happened at one of my last matches of the Fall season during a College (university) Showcase. My 2nd center of day 1 was a U17G game. About 20 minutes into the first half there's a clear careless tripping foul in the box but the attacker is going away from goal with no chance to score so I tweet for the penalty kick and on we go. After the penalty is scored, the goalkeeper comes up to me and asks me sarcastically 'hey ref, why didn't you play advantage?' Players aren't always thinking about what they say before they say it; sometimes it's best to ignore them and move on. Sure you can get a read on what players expect from their moaning, but sometimes it's really just emotional .

 

[Ben448844]

This happens to me a few times a season. Was wondering if you have similar.

An attacker is fouled but retains possession (usually unchallenged) but in a worse off position than a free kick. I blow for a free kick and one or more defenders bow up saying play advantage ref.

My response is the same every time, the very fact that you as a defender are keen to play advantage means there is no advantage or even the opposite of it. They don't seem to understand the concept.

Ref can never win here. When I played it used to drive me mad when refs blew for the free kick when I had the ball (even near my own box) but most of the time the manager was screaming for the free kick! The ref could never win there so the wise refereeing decision is free kick if in any doubt. I have definitely gone from letting the game fully flow with about 20 advantages a game to blowing for all fouls apart from absolutely clear advantages. I still get it wrong but I'm alot better now. It's definitely a consequence off playing

 

[Sheffields Finest]

Learn some good witty comebacks to moany players, they absolutely hate that! Lightens the mood and it takes their mind off the original moan..

 

[bester]

Here is one for folk to think about..... pre match, all good, manager comes for a quick word and says "ref, any fouls like 30 yards from goal, we would rather the free kick than you tried to play it on".......

Now, given an advantage ideally has to be as so, an actual advantage, and not just a play on, and, the team are set piece experts or have a Roberto Carlos/Stuart Pearce/David Beckham or their version of.... and they are giving you a heads up that the best advantage you can give them is the free kick should it happen in the game.....

Does it change your thinking as to what you would do during the game????

Of course it does, but the coach isn’t going to remember what he requested when you blow for a free kick 25-yards out when his player is in clean through on goal. Don’t go in with a set mindset and you can adjust advantage as necessary.

If a team is playing every free kick short, unless it’s in shooting range, then what advantage have they gained by being given a free kick against a set defence? They’d rather have possession if they aren’t under pressure.

 

[Ciley Myrus]

Of course it does, but the coach isn’t going to remember what he requested when you blow for a free kick 25-yards out when his player is in clean through on goal. Don’t go in with a set mindset and you can adjust advantage as necessary.

If a team is playing every free kick short, unless it’s in shooting range, then what advantage have they gained by being given a free kick against a set defence? They’d rather have possession if they aren’t under pressure.

I was referring to a senior team here where the manager was famous/infamous for making this request, every week, for about the 20 seasons he was a manager. It was something of a legal requirement and ritual that he would ask as such. So, pretty good chance on the occasion I was referring to, he will remember fine!
Nothing is paint by numbers and of course nobody should adjust simply to suit, but, it has to be given due consideration, my point was to provoke the thinking "would the managers request pre match that they get the foul have any bearing on your thinking"

there is of course no definitive answer as its hypothetical until the situation arises, I was merely planting the seed

 

[JamesL]

Think is just happened. Spurs v man u. Davies fould young. Ball goes to man u defender. MD blows for the foul and Davies indicates advantage...

MDs response.. "I'm reffing this game.."

 

[RobOda]

MDs response.. "I'm reffing this game.."

I like Mr. Dean. Maybe when he retires he will be willing to come and train me.

 

[RustyRef]

I like Mr. Dean. Maybe when he retires he will be willing to come and train me.

When he retires, and I hope he never does, Mike Dean will become an amazing observer. He's a referee who is getting better with age, showing no signs of not being able to keep up, so he could keep going for years yet.