A&H

Playing Advantage

OnlyUseMeWhistle

OnlyUseMeWhistle

RefChat Addict
Level 4W Referee
Wasn't really certain where to put this but it feels like a bit of a "trick" to getting advantage right.

I think I've been getting advantage wrong pretty much every time, partly because it's at Sunday league level.

I'll explain: I like to keep these games flowing, stop start is frustrating for players and with the weather this cold it's just a bit rubbish for everyone. This usually earns praise from both sides after the game.

The only part I think I'm lacking on is advantage, whenever I'm awarding it around the middle of the pitch I struggle to judge when it has ended and based on reactions I think I am cutting it shorter than fair.

Because the pitches are terrible and the players inconsistent, playing advantage in the middle almost always means a couple more passes made and then a bobble or misplayed pass means the ball turns over. At this point I usually play on but the advantage was around 5-10 seconds at best and the ball hasn't really come forward much if at all.

Should I just bite the bullet and slow the game down by blowing for these fouls in the middle and only focus on advantage when an attack is on (which I think I judge much better)?

Experienced tips and help much appreciated!
 
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Try defining advantage as, " playing on is more beneficial to the team than awarding the fk"

its common practise for less exp referees to be too keen ( not always a bad thing) to " play on" thus, ball retentiion gets confused with actual advantage

Safe, sensible ( boring!) refereeing is just to award the foul. Its imo better practise to simply keep things sensible and award the fk, barring something which comes at you stinking of advantage.

Esp at pub league, low skill level, as you are wise to point out, bobbly pitvhes etc. Give the foul, be consistent in awarding the foul, and, thats all anyond can ask.

if you need to ask in hindsight, waa that an advantage.....then it was prob not

Maybe this helps, traffic light system

defending third is red, a no go or, you can go, but its dangerous
midfield third is amber, you might be able to go, subject to conditions, however, leaning towards not going, safer
Attacking is green, good to go whilst like driving, still being aware of your surroundings



your words in your description sound like ball retention, rather than advantage.

its a delicate skill, which nobody can ever perfect.
 
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2-4 seconds is what I tell the captains at the toss.

If a foul occurs, and the ball falls to another of the teams players, wait to see what they do. If they're going nowhere, blow. No signal of advantage.

If they start moving towards opponent goal /attacking, wait a second or 2 and if it continues, signal advantage, if not, BLOW hard, bring it back and shout, BACK HERE PLEASE, NO ADVANTAGE.

Don't give 5-10 seconds unless you have got the skill level of the player(s) /team, 2-4 is optimal imo.

I often get a thank you off players for bringing it back, when I've shouted the above.

Hope that's of help 👍
 
This is where I see a lot of inexperienced referees come unstuck, often when they have switched from playing. "Keeping the game flowing" doesn't really have any basis in law, rather if there is a foul you are expected to stop the game and award a free kick. This is unless of course you decide to play advantage, but at grass roots football, with dodgy pitches and equally dodgy skill level, these really should be few and far between. Often referees mistake posession with position when playing advantage, and Anubis has already touched on the traffic light system. You are right that players will sometimes thanks you for keeping the game flowing, but they won't if it gets too heated and escalates, and rather they will then be blaming you for "losing control of the game".

Advantage has a place at all levels, but at grass roots it gets massively overused. I've observed referees who have given as many as 20 in a game, often in the middle third where the fouled team keep posession but face a wall of opponents and really have nowhere to go. Certainly waiting as long as 10 seconds to pull play back for the foul is way, way too long.
 
My trick: Give the game 10 or 15 minutes so you can work out how good/bad the teams are in general, who the most skilful players are and what part effect pitch will have - bobble, bounce, hold up, flow.

You’ll know by then if it’s worthy trying to play any but the most obvious of advantages (defender on their backside, open goal, loads of space).

And if you call it back, massage an ego occasionally. “Pitch is poor, you won’t catch it” or “You’ve no options on”.
 
Advantage is often taught as a traffic light system.
Break the field into thirds. The defensive third is red, middle Amber, attacking green.
Red = almost never play advantage here. Particularly at the skill level we are reffing at, it will rarely end well. I think I can count on two fingers where an advantage here has actually benefitted the team and my game. I once, in a friendly didn't play advantage in the red zone to a moan and groan from the defender. Later in the game, an opportunity came, so I played it and low and behold he gave the ball away and his team conceded. Quiet word to say, see, this is why I don't play advantage there, normally. It really goes to illustrate the point here though as that it is very very rare for a true advantage to occur in the defensive third.

Amber = sometimes can play advantage. Depending on situation. I would again lean towards no advantage more often than not, but depending on the game and skill level of the players that might go the other way.

Green = greatest opportunity for advantage to benefit the offended against team.
 
The other thing to think about is you rarely get any praise for playing advantage. If it leads to a goal you might get a couple of players say well done, but by no means always. But if you play advantage in a dodgy position, or even in a decent position, it breaks down and the opposition go onto score then I can absolutely guarantee the conceding team will "congratulate" you on your decision and be demanding the free kick.
 
Nearly any referee who plays 'lots of
advantages' has poor foul recognition. They play advantage after minor contact when possession is maintained, often this contact isn't really a foul.
Simply acknowledge the contact, if you wish, and play on.

On the flip side missing clear advantages can cause you grief. If you read the game well real advantages will be obvious.
 
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