The Ref Stop

Advantage

The Ref Stop
Confusing one. The idea of "how long" is a bit of a rugby thing. My understanding is once you say "advantage play on" then you don't bring it back. That's why you see so many refs waiting an age to see if an advantage is evident. The advantage is letting them carry on.
 
Page 73, LotG 2015-16 edition :

The decision to penalise the original offence must be taken within a few seconds.
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Now admittedly, that's a little vague, so basically it's pretty much up to you as the ref to judge what you think constitutes "a few seconds."
 
DanRicketts said:
The advantage is letting them carry on.
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I don't agree Dan. (And I'm a Newcastle fan). ;)
For me, the ref plays advantage because in his opinion (if only for a couple of seconds) there is more to be gained by the team in possession than there would be by him stopping play for the free kick/whatever and allowing the team which has committed the offence to possible re-group and defend it. Obviously it's fairly pointless if a team is say, running back toward their own goal, but I always try and play advantage if I can and have no problem applying a 3 second rule in order to bring play back for the original offence if nothing is gained from me not stopping play. Remember, it's not the team's decision to play on (advantage) - it's yours, so I suppose it's only fair that they ultimately get their free kick if nothing comes of it. :)
 
DanRicketts said:
My understanding is once you say "advantage play on" then you don't bring it back.
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I don't think your alone in this thinking but it's totally wrong in my view.
The shout is to let everyone know I've seen the foul before someone decides to have a pop at me or seek retribution.
Sometimes I misread the play and the advantage isn't there. Am I going to bring it back? Of course I bloody am.
 
deusex said:
I don't think your alone in this thinking but it's totally wrong in my view.
The shout is to let everyone know I've seen the foul before someone decides to have a pop at me or seek retribution.
Sometimes I misread the play and the advantage isn't there. Am I going to bring it back? Of course I bloody am.
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Absolutely correct. L4 and above are encouraged to immediately make everyone aware it is being played and then come back if necessary.
 
The new direction we got here in Canada about two months ago is in line with what @Brian Hamilton notes about the L4 and up in England.

We are encouraged to call "advantage" immediately to let everyone know we saw the foul, and then if it doesn't actually accrue within 3-4s, whistle and bring it back.

Note that a pisspoor pass or dribble does not count as advantage not accruing. :)
 
I try to always say I have seen it to stop them moaning about missing a foul, wait a split second, assess the situation, advantage play on if I believe there may be an advantage and finally I will always bring it back if the advantage does not accrue within a reasonable time frame.
 
I'd agree. I would also bare in mind as both a player (first) and referee (second), advantage isn't just about time. Positioning is as, if not more important. For example, you've called advantage but within a second it becomes evident that the ball won't travel very far, I'd expect it to be blown for the FK (or I'd blow) e.g the foul was committed around a group of players and the pass out can't be achieved.

Advantage is exactly that. Has the un-offending side gained advantage by ground (or time) than what they'd have achieved had the FK been awarded? Also, how would you call for a foul if the attacking team wanted the free kick but you'd called advantage? Could the attacking team just kick the ball away or out of the field of play to indicate they don't want the advantage? In some cases, an advantage being played by a referee isn't advantageous to the team, but can be quite detrimental to the flow.

It's a tricky one to determine but you have to be reading the game from both sides of the whistle.
 
Broadly agree with most of the points you make @davidbartlam , there's a real art to deciding on whether to play advantage, with a number of factors (position on field, temperature of game, skill level of players, current match score, severity of offence) that can all impact.

However once I've decided to play advantage, any team that wilfully wastes that advantage (by, as you say, deliberately kicking the ball away or out) is getting short shrift from me. I'll take the flak from them if they disagree with my choice (up to a point of course!) but won't support them in choosing to 'throw away' their advantage.
 
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I've done it before - I was fouled just outside the box with defenders inbound. I wouldn't have been able to get a shot away or dribble very far, but there was a clear pass to the left for a team-mate into the corner. I decided in that second that I'd rather the free kick... Referee called advantage, I just stopped. Defender tackled me and I got the free kick. Had I made the pass, the cross would have come it but very doubtful that the strikers (myself out of position and my other vertically challenged partner) wouldn't have been able to win the header against a taller opposition. We had the free kick and scored direct from it. When I look back I think the ref made the right call to stop the play. Was I right to just stop? I don't know. The free kick was a much better option for me.
 
See that's my view when I have a whistle in my hand... but a ball at my feet and it was the right decision to stop. Certainly contentious.
 
Alternatively don't play advantage for anything other than someone about to tap into an empty net and you avoid all the complications.

Vastly overrated and not really useful until you start reffing at a higher level.

Causes referees more problems than it solves at grassroots level.....
 
I'd disagree if you don't mind me saying. If you've got a referee that understands what an advantage is from a players point of view, even at grassroots level it can be very beneficial. It's about perception and understanding
 
davidbartlam said:
I'd disagree if you don't mind me saying. If you've got a referee that understands what an advantage is from a players point of view, even at grassroots level it can be very beneficial. It's about perception and understanding
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I don't mind you disagreeing, even if you are wrong.

It's about recognising that 99 times out of 100, on a Sunday morning, anywhere in the middle or attacking thirds of the pitch, it will be more beneficial to award the FK and let the team lump it into the box. All down to the ability of the players you are refereeing....which is why advantage is largely irrelevant until you move up the pyramid and are officiating with teams that actually have a reasonable degree of ability.

Experience and knowledge trumps perception and understanding every time!
 
I'll continue to disagree but respect your opinion :)
 
I referee grass roots Padfoot, just as most on here do. The occasions where I've seen it's beneficial to play advantage have been fairly numerous - certainly more than 1% at any rate.
I've had more players moan at me for "blowing too early ref" far more than I have complaining about playing the advantage. ;)
As for the bit about the degree of ability being linked to the benefits of the advantage call - that's just your opinion. Personal skill levels in attack or defence have little to do with why or when advantage should be played. Unless of course you are constantly encountering matches where there is a huge gulf in class between both teams?
Finally, "Experience and knowledge trumps perception and understanding every time!" Really? So you reckon a 42 year old Level 7 referee who's been at that level for 10 years is a better ref than a 23 year old Level 4 then? The FA would disagree with you..... ;)
 
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