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corshamref.net
"A Referee allows play to continue when the team
against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage
and penalises the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue
at that time."
(Law 5 - Laws of Associated Football)
The aim of this guide is to show how the football (soccer) Referee – by
application of the 'Advantage Clause' - can retain overall match control, and on
occasions, allow play to continue when an offence has been committed. Applying
advantage makes the game more exciting and minimised unnecessary stoppages.
Introduction:
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In the game of football, when a foul is committed on a player, the award of a
free kick to that player's team is not always to that team's best advantage,
because it can stop the forward momentum of play, and allow time for the
opposing team to reorganise its defence. In many cases, the team that has had
the foul committed against them, would receive more benefit if play were allowed
to continue instead of being stopped by the Referee to award a free kick. Law 5
of the Laws of Associated Football, allows the Referee to use his judgement in
making decisions when to allow play to continue (or not) to the greater
advantage of the offended team.
The Advantage Clause permits the Referee to apply two options when a foul is
committed on a player:
1. Allow play to continue to the advantage of the team whose player has
been fouled, and penalise for the original foul if the advantage for that
team does not ensue within 2 to 3 seconds.
2. If the Referee believes that there is no advantage to be gained in
allowing play to continue, he can stop play immediately and award a free
kick (or penalty kick) to the team whose player has been fouled.
Applying advantage is the Referees prerogative - he can either apply
advantage, or he can NOT apply advantage. In reality, Referees use a combination
of both of these methods in every game, thus allowing them to control and keep
the game flowing with the minimum of stoppages. During a good-natured match, the
Referee will play advantage on most occasions when the offended team retains
possession in favourable circumstances. Conversely, during an ill tempered match
(and to retain control of the game), the Referee will keep advantage to a
minimum - else players may seek retribution on opponents by taking the Law into
their own hands. The degree of applying advantage can also be varied in a single
game when players need calming down during heated periods.
Although it is possible in certain circumstances for Referees to caution or
send-off a player some time after an incident has occurred - failure to act
quickly in fractious circumstances may result in an ugly confrontation
developing into a violent situation. If a serious (or violent) foul occurs or if
there is any hint of an assault taking place, the Referee should stop play
immediately and NOT allow advantage to develop. Taking action quickly in these
circumstances can
prevent further trouble escalating.
Allowing advantage in the penalty area of the offending team can also cause
problems, as the Referee will have to make a very quick judgement on the
possibility of a goal being scored immediately.
If following an innocuous foul on a defender, the ball makes it way to the
defender's goalkeeper - it is sometimes better to allow the goalkeeper to
continue play by kicking the ball from his hands upfield, than to stop play and
award a free kick (so long as there is no danger to the goalkeeper or any other
player).
There is also a danger in applying advantage too liberally. There is no need to apply advantage for a trifling or dubious offence, but instead,
it should only be applied it if the foul affects the game or the players. This is a difficult skill to learn, as we very often see Referees making a big meal of advantage, when there would have been no change to the game, whether the foul had been committed or not! It is in these situations, when it is better to just let the game continue without interference. If
Referees apply advantage all over the place, it will lessen their control of the game, and will have less effect on those odd occasions when a significant foul occurs, that truly requires the correct application of advantage to be delivered.
By recognising what a true advantage is, and realising that it does not happen very often,
a Referee's decisions will be much appreciated when they apply the clause correctly, and when it is really needed.
History:
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The
word 'advantage' appeared for the first time in the Laws in season 1938-39
following a complete rewrite and renumbering of the previous Laws. The original
sentence that appeared in Law 5 was as follows:
"He
shall, however, refrain from penalising in cases where he is satisfied that by
doing so he would be giving an advantage to the offending team."
In 1956-57, the following was added to Law 5:
"If the Referee has decided to apply the advantage clause
and to let the game proceed, he cannot revoke his decision if the presumed
advantage has not been realised, even though he has not, by any gesture,
indicated his decision. This does not exempt the offending player from being
dealt with by the Referee."
The following Advantage clause amendment appeared in Law 5-season
1996-97,
as International Board Decision 7. This original Law 5 text and FIFA instructions were as
follows:
"If the Referee applies the advantage clause and the advantage
which was anticipated does not develop at that time, the Referee shall penalise the
original offence."
Reason:
The amendment seeks to indicate a timescale during which the Referee
may penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not develop.
This now gives the Referee the possibility of waiting to see how an
advantage situation develops and if it does not develop after a short while, e.g.
two/three seconds, then the Referee has to immediately stop the game and penalise the
original offence, provided that the ball is still in play (if not, then play must be
restarted in accordance with the Law). Furthermore, should a second offence be committed
by a player of the offending team during the time the Referee is allowing for the
development of the anticipated advantage, then the Referee must sanction the more
serious of the two offences. In any case, this does not exempt each offending player
from being dealt with appropriately (caution or dismissal) by the Referee.
The modern Law 5 text is shown in the paragraph below:
The Referee "allows play to continue when the team against
which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalises the
original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time."
Before the 1996/1997 season, if the Referee allowed an advantage, he
was not allowed to bring play back and penalise the original offence if subsequently, the
advantage did not develop.
In other words, it was just bad luck for the team whose player had
been fouled.
A free kick awarded for a foul should not benefit the team that
committed the foul. The essence of the modern advantage clause is to promote fairness to
the offended team, and not to allow the offending team an unfair advantage
by allowing them time to prepare their defending players in readiness for a free kick
against them. The advantage clause also allows the Referee to keep play moving - thus
promoting flowing football.
It is important to remember two facets of this developing Law 5
change.
Firstly the wording encapsulating the time allowed for a Referee to bring back an
advantage to the original scene of the foul.
"If it does not develop after a short while,
e.g. two/three seconds""
The latest Law 5 text does not mention specific time, so it is
important not to lose visibility of this original time measurement allowance - especially
for new trainee Referees.
And secondly, if the Referee allows advantage, and lets play
continue - if a second offence is committed by a player of the offending team during the
time the Referee is allowing for the development of the anticipated advantage, then the
Referee could sanction the more serious of the two offences.
For example: A defender attempts to impede an attacker 2 metres
outside of the defender's penalty area. Although the attacker is unbalanced and falters,
he manages to keep upright, retains possession of the ball and moves towards goal.
The Referee shouts "Play on, Advantage!"
The attacker moves into the defender's penalty area where he is
immediately tripped by another defender and fouled a second time, resulting in the
attacker falling to the ground. The award is a penalty kick (for the more serious
offence/punishment) and not an indirect free kick (for the lesser offence/punishment) for
the original impedance.
If the attacker had not been fouled a second time, and had gained no
advantage from being allowed to play-on; the Referee should stop play within two/three
seconds and award the attacking team an indirect free kick at the place outside of the
penalty area where the first foul (impedance) occurred.
Further advice based on information from Ken Ridden Director of
Refereeing The Football Association England was provided to Referees in the form of
'Guidance Notes For Referees 1996/1997'. His advice covering the advantage clause was as
follows:
"The change in Decision 7 (Law 5), referring to the Advantage
Clause, is very significant and requires a lot of thought. The new wording is intended to
ensure that the team offended against does not suffer unfairly if a Referee reasonably
applies the advantage clause, but the advantage is immediately nullified by extraneous
factors. It must be noted that if the Advantage clause is invoked and the player offended
against loses control of the ball as a result of his own error, then play must be allowed
to continue. Likewise, if a player receives the ball from an 'advantage' situation but
shoots wide of the goal, the original offence should not be penalised with a free kick.
It is more important than ever, that Referees identify appropriate
'advantage' situations early, and convey their intentions to the players, a clear shout
and the correct hand signal.
At local league level players often see a greater benefit in a free
kick, only expecting the advantage if there is a clear-cut (obvious) attacking
opportunity.
The change of the wording of this Law does not change the necessity
to consider all factors when applying advantage, what it does, is affords a 'safety
valve'. A Referee may now legally, award a free kick after an advantage does not
transpire through an act of fate.
The long-standing principle of the Advantage Clause remains the
same. You should remember that as a Referee you must look at the anticipated advantage in
terms of the team offended against and not judge the issue solely on whether the fouled
player retains possession of the ball after the unfair challenge."
The above 'History' is a small insight into 'when and why' the
Advantage clause was added to the Laws. The principles included above are still adhered to
today and offer an understanding on how the Advantage clause has developed and how the
modern Referee should use it.
"The offended
team should never be disadvantaged by the Referee's advantage."
Match Influences effecting Advantage: Take me back to the top of this page
One of the greatest feelings that a Referee can experience when they
officiate in a game, is when a team scores a goal following the award of an
advantage. This feeling is even more accentuated, if during the movement,
players from that team had sought in vain to persuade the Referee to stop play
for the foul. This is when the Referee can quietly smile to himslef,
knowing that he allowed play to continue to the benefit of that team - which
subsequently resulted in a goal being scored by them.
The Laws are intended to allow games to be played
with as little interference as possible, and with this in mind, it is the duty
of the Referee not to penalise every single breach of the Law. Constant
whistling for trifling and doubtful breaches of the Law produces bad feeling and
loss of temper on the part of the players and spoils the enjoyment of the game
for all.
Every game and every advantage incident is
different - so it is impossible to teach all advantage scenarios. Nevertheless,
a Referee who applies advantage correctly and fairly will enhance the quality of
the game. And his performance will be the better for it. Advantage is a useful
method that allows the Referee to adjust and readjust control of a game should it
get out of hand. Control of a match can be better managed by allowing advantage
to flow in the good nature part of a game, and by not allowing any advantage
during the fractious parts of the game.
Following the award of an advantage, and the
completion of the move, the Referee should either rebuke the player who
committed the foul, or caution him (or send him of) depending on the severity of
the offence. This will prevent (or at least greatly diminish) retaliation being
taken by players later on in the game. It is important to 'nip' provocation in
the 'bud' in the early stages. Rebuking players can be done quietly whilst
running alongside - or for a more serious rebuke, openly by calling the
perpetrator towards you during a stoppage in play.
The Referee is not advised to apply advantage
following incidents of a serious nature. Doing so will give the opportunity for
retribution to be taken by opponents - and this could lead to even more serious
trouble occurring. In such cases, the Referee should ignore any appeals to allow
advantage to continue. For example - if a defender commits a 'leg breaking
tackle’ from behind, on an attacker (and yes they do occur from time to time)
but the ball breaks to a colleague of the injured attacker who subsequently
moves forwards - the Referee should stop play immediately (unless it is
blatantly obvious that a goal will be scored in the next second or so) and
swiftly deal with the perpetrator of the offence by sending him off. If the
Referee allows play to continue by invoking the advantage clause, then the
chances are that a colleague of the injured player will seek retribution by
committing a violent act against either the perpetrator or one of the
perpetrator's colleagues. By stopping play immediately, the Referee has retained
control of a potentially tricky and escalating situation, and by doing so, shows
the players that HE is the only one permitted to hand-out punishment on the
field of play.
| The Referee should make it
evidently clear when he has awarded an advantage. He should communicate
this by shouting:
"Play on!,
Advantage!"
and by moving both hands forward in a sweeping motion upwards from
waist level. Explaining advantage decisions to players will increase
communication between the Referee and players.
It is very important that the Referee signals by using both voice and
arms - this is a widely-know and accepted signal that must be simply
executed without flamboyance or eccentricity.
Awarding and showing advantage should be done as quickly as possible -
any delay by the Referee in deciding whether to award advantage or not,
will be seen by the players as a weakness in quick decision-making..
Paradoxically - allowing a slight delay to see how play develops may on
occasions lead to a more successful application of the advantage clause.
In other words, don’t always blow the whistle too quickly. |
 |
Taking the above action informs the players that the Referee has acknowledged the foul but has
allowed play to continue. Failure to 'communicate' advantage will result in
players assuming that the Referee has not seen the offence. This will lessen the
confidence players have in the Referee.
Referees should not use the full advantage signal
when an incident has been observed, that is judged not to be an advantage,
otherwise this will be confusing for the players. Shouting "Play
on" when no foul has occurred can confuse players. Players will be
unsure if the Referee has seen a foul and allowed advantage - or whether the
Referee had deemed that no foul had occurred, thus letting play continue. In
such circumstances, the Referee would be better shouting: "Play on. No
foul" or similar words that communicate that no foul had occurred. In
most cases where no foul has occurred, it is sometimes better just to allow play
to continue without saying or indicating anything. The shout, and award of
"Play on Advantage" should only be used following a definite foul.
It can sometimes be difficult to anticipate
retaliation following a challenge for the ball. The Referee should leave his
eyes (for just a few milli-seconds) on the scene of the challenge, before
following the path of the ball. If there is the slightest hint of retaliation
being taken by players; advantage should not be applied on these occasions.
Retaliation normally occurs at the scene of the crime, so it is important not to
immediately follow the flight of the ball if trouble is anticipated.
The Referee will need to penalise the original
offence as soon as the advantage does not materialise. In other words, if the
advantage does not materialise in the first second, there is no need to wait the
full two/three seconds allowed before stopping play for the free kick.
The age of players can be factored into the
Referee's advantage equation. Young players lack the maturity to understand and
to benefit from an advantage. They also lack the physical prowess to capitalise
on most advantages given. That is not to say that the Referee should NEVER apply
advantage with young players. As an extreme example - an advantage given to a
young team 1 metre inside their opponents half of the field of play is not quite
the same as allowing advantage to an English Premiership League team of
professional players in the same position. The young team players would benefit
more from a free kick, whereas the Premier side are skilful enough to monopolise
the situation to their benefit - and actually want the Referee to keep play
moving whenever possible. The skill level of the teams must also be considered.
A Sunday morning team would probably benefit more if a free kick is awarded to
them inside their own half of the field of play, as opposed to the Referee
allowing them an advantage. Conversely, highly skilful teams will accept an
advantage in any part of the field of play.
Advantage should be applied carefully and
thoughtfully whenever veteran players or disabled players are involved.
Ground conditions will also effect the extent to
which advantage can be allowed to develop. Deciding to award advantage on a
normal pitch is different to allowing advantage on a frosty or very muddy pitch
surface. In these cases, the team will probably gain a better advantage by the
award of the free kick, rather than being allowed to run on with the ball.
The prerogative of awarding advantage belongs
solely to the Referee. He should not be influenced by any appeals from players,
managers, coaches or spectators who for some strange reason, always think that
they know better than the qualified Referee. The Referee should prepare himself
to deal with dissent from team officials (e.g. managers and coaches). In most
cases, these should just be ignored.
Advantage should never be signalled by an Assistant Referee.
'Atmospheric' influences effecting
Advantage:
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The application of the ‘Advantage Clause’ depends very much on the mood
of the players, the climate of individual games, the differing skill levels of
the competing teams, weather and ground conditions, history of previous
encounters, whether it is a relegation or promotion match or a Cup final, which
side of bed the players got out of this morning and whether the Moon is in the
correct position or not!
A Referee can treat two identical incidents in a
game completely differently. For example - following a foul in one game, the
Referee allowed advantage to develop. In an identical incident during a
different game (or in the second half of the same game), the Referee stopped
play to award a free kick. Therefore, the incident itself is invariably not
always the only measure to consider when awarding advantage or not - there are
many other outside factors to consider before the Referee decides. This very
often happens in the same game. For example - in the first half, the Referee
allowed advantage, but in the second half following a similar foul, the Referee
stopped play immediately and awarded a free kick. The reasons why he may have
taken this
action are numerous - for example, the first half was played in a very sporting
manner, but the second half had developed into World War 3 - necessitating
tighter Referee control on the game by NOT awarding any advantage in an attempt
to stabilise control of the game. When taking such varying action in the same
game, the Referee will undoubtedly receive taunts of "inconsistency".
Ignore such remarks. It is more important for the Referee to retain ‘consistent
control’ of the game, and if this means adjusting the way advantage is
permitted - then retaining control of the game consistently, is far more
important than such petty comments.
"The foul is
only the catalyst when deciding advantage - the complete answer is the foul itself, plus the
variable equation of circumstances surrounding it."
The Referee should be discreet in establishing and building up control
in the early stages of an anticipated difficult game. One method towards
gradually building full control is NOT to award ‘total’ advantage early on
in the game, but work it in gradually until advantage can be applied more
liberally without jeopardising early control of the game.
Advantage should never be used by the Referee to negate taking action to
protect players' individual skills and flair. In other words, applying advantage
should not be an alternative ‘prize’ to properly and rightly disciplining
offending players for fouls committed. Advantage should never be used as an
excuse for not dealing properly and positively with offenders. The Referee must
never use advantage solely as a disguise for failing to act on the offence seen.
In other words, if the original foul warrants a caution (or a red card), the
perpetrator should be punished accordingly when play allows.
Referees must apply restraint when allowing advantage, and never use the
application to solely seek pleasure themselves. The Advantage Clause is there
for the players’ benefit, and not to feed the reputation of indulgent or
over-ambitious Referees.
Referees
Perspective: Take me back to the top of this page
Applying advantage, is a technique that if used
properly, will promote the flow of the game, and increase the enjoyment for all
of the participants. The Referee therefore, has a duty to use and learn the
proper application of this clause. Proper application will also enhance a
Referees ability and reputation.
The factors influencing when advantage should, or
should not be applied by the Referee could be: (a) the players' level of respect
for each other and towards the Referee – (b) the skill levels of the teams –
(c) the flow of the game – (d) the players' discipline levels - (e) previous
bad history between the teams.......... These are feelings and contributory
factors that are difficult to capture in words, but are very easy to discern
during the match action.
When considering the application of the advantage
clause, Referees are advised to ignore sweeping
generalisations such as:
(a) "never play advantage in the first fifteen minutes" or
(b) "only allow advantage in the last attacking third of the field of
play"
These types of statements are too simplified and constricting to be of any
practicable use. There are many additional
factors to consider such as: (i) the passing skill of a team, or (ii) the age of
the players etc. - that make generalisations confusing to apply. Each advantage
must be considered in its own context, and not governed by such broad
statements. Advantage was never meant to be governed by constraining
generalisations - it is a flexible clause that enhances the total game, and not
just pre-selected parts of it.
Allowing advantage, can depend on the position in
the field of play where the advantage is applied. For example, a team with
little footballing skill will not appreciate advantage being awarded to them in
the close vicinity of their goal (e.g. in their defensive part of the field of
play). The award of a free kick is more advantageous to them, because the ball
can be safely kicked upfield. (out of immediate danger) into their opponents’
half. A team of inferior skill, will be less likely to be able to keep
possession of the ball in their own half for long enough to gain a benefit from any
advantage. The age of players also needs to be factored into the advantage
equation – as previously mentioned, younger players are less likely to achieve
benefit from advantage than older players are. Many Referees do not play
advantage in the defensive half when young teams are involved. Conversely, it is
not unusual for one young aged team to be far superior in skill to their
opponents - in this case, the Referee may be able to allow advantage to that
team if an offence is committed against them in their own half. The nearer an
attacking team is to their opponent's goal, the more effective an advantage will
be. Applying advantage is not a slide-rule measurement where all possibilities
can be easily be described in a list.
If a team has a free kick expert available - a
free kick may be a better option for them (rather than awarding advantage) when
an offence occurs near their opponents’ penalty area.
Referees will need to consider very carefully,
and act swiftly when deciding advantage (or not) to an attacking team in the
defending team's penalty area. Unless it is plainly obvious that allowing
advantage to the attacking team will result in a certain goal, the Referee should
err on the side of caution and stop play as quickly as he can when an offence is
committed against an attacker in the defending team's penalty area. This will
certainly prevent complex problems arising if a foul in the penalty area is
ignored - but the advantage does not develop. The immediate award of a penalty kick is
probably more beneficial to a team, than that team being allowed advantage in
their opponents’ penalty area. If a Referee allows advantage following an
offence in the penalty area, and the attacker subsequently shoots and misses the
goal (or the goalkeeper saves it), the Referee should not award that team a free
kick (or penalty) for the original offence. This would be tantamount to offering
the attacking team two advantages. This would be unfair, and against the
spirit of the game. Applying advantage in the penalty area, is a difficult task
for the Referee to decide. The Referee needs to be less flexible in his
application of advantage when it happens inside the penalty area.
"If the advantage
works, the Referee is Go(O)d, if it does not work, the Referee is (D)evil!"
Possession of the ball should not be the main
factor when applying advantage. In certain circumstances, the team, who has been
offended against, may gain no advantage at all by merely retaining possession of
the ball. The advantage comes, if that team is able to make good progress
towards their opponent's goal, and increase their attacking possibilities.
Possession alone (particularly in a team's own half) can very often swing the
advantage towards the team who committed the foul. If a player whom advantage
has been allowed, still has a number of opponent's 'closing' him down, then the
better option would be to award a free kick for the original offence.
If following the award of advantage to a player
in his own half, that player has no option but to progress backward towards his
own goal, then this is not considered to be advantageous. The Referee should award a free
kick for the original offence.
The Assistant Referees' Role with
Advantage: Take
me back to the top of this page
Advantage or play-on signs by an Assistant Referee may
cause confusion for the players. Assistant Referees should not shout or indicate ‘Play on’ or
‘Advantage’. This is always the prerogative of the Referee. The Referee is the
only match official who should indicate advantage. Assistant Referees have been seen to
indicate "Play-on. Advantage", by putting out their arm or a hand
whilst running along the touchline. The Referee is the only
one who should indicate "Play-on; Advantage". Imagine a situation following a
foul, where the Assistant Referee uses an arm signal to indicate "Play on.
Advantage", and then a goal is scored which is subsequently disallowed because the
Referee calls play back for the original foul and awards a free kick instead. As
an Assistant Referee; by remaining passive in advantage situations, this should
encourage players to continue with play.
Assistant Referees should never
shout or indicate ‘Play on’ or ‘Advantage’.
OFFSIDE: Assistant Referees are very often seen signalling to
players with a wave of their hand when allowing play to continue following an appeal for
offside. Such signals from the Assistant Referee are not required and will eventually lead
to confusion and trouble. The fact that an Assistant Referee has NOT raised his flag to
award an offside is enough to tell the players that no offside has occurred.
During the Referee’s pre-match briefing to his Assistant Referees, they
should be instructed something along the lines of:
"Offsides are yours at all times. If I want to keep play going following an offside
flag signal, I will acknowledge you with a raised arm (demonstrate). If I completely miss
an offside flag, keep the flag raised until I notice it - OR - if play breaks to the
advantage of the defending team, drop your flag and allow play to continue. Let me
know at the end of each half - if I have missed any of your signals."
If following an offside signal by an Assistant Referee, the ball
subsequently travels safely to the defending goalkeeper - an astute Referee will often
apply the advantage clause and allow play to continue, acknowledge his Assistant Referee,
and allow play to carry on by clearly indicating advantage using the standard
signal.
The Assistant Referees should bring any offences not seen by the
Referee, to the Referee’s attention. Although Assistant Referees should not signal or
decide advantage, they can indicate to the Referee when a foul has been committed - thus
allowing the Referee to decide on allowing advantage or not. If play is stopped for the
foul, the Assistant Referee should indicate the direction of the free kick and (if in
close proximity) ensure that the free kick is taken properly.
Assistant Referees should also highlight any further fouls following the award of an
advantage. For example, following the award of advantage to an attacker, the attacker's
shirtsleeve is pulled preventing him making fair progress. The incident is unseen by the
Referee, but is witnessed by an Assistant Referee. In this case, the Assistant should
raise his flag to indicate a second foul committed on the attacker. The Referee will then
decide either to allow a second advantage, or to stop play to award a free kick.
If a flag signal for any type of offence is not immediately seen by
the Referee, the Assistant Referee must keep signalling until he is acknowledged by the
Referee or until the Assistant Referee recognises a clear advantage to the team against
which the offence has been committed. The Referee will normally acknowledge his Assistant
Referees’ signals during play, if he (the Referee) wishes to apply advantage and keep
play going in normal circumstances.
If a Referee decides to penalise an original foul committed on the
edge of the penalty area following an allowed advantaged that did not ensue - the
Assistant Referee may be asked to indicate to the Referee whether the foul occurred inside
or outside of the penalty area. A subtle way of doing this, is for the Assistant
Referee to stand facing inwards to the field of play, make eye contact with the
Referee, and then side-step towards the corner flag, to indicate that the foul occurred
inside the penalty area. If the fouls occurred outside of the penalty area, then
the Assistant Referee should side-step towards the half-way line. But to avoid
any misunderstanding, these types of body-language signals must be agreed
with the Referee during his pre-match brief.
Summary: Take me back to the top of this page
In practical terms, experience on the
field of play is the best way of learning advantage, and not in the classroom nor by studying textbooks alone.
Nevertheless, the advantage advice given here, may help Referees to understand
the complexities and variable factors involved in applying the advantage clause
correctly and confidently. With experience, advantage becomes very easy and very
enjoyable to apply. It becomes second nature, and Referees know by instinct when
to award advantage and when not to. In a game, Referees do not have time to
contemplate the reasons for advantage decision making - it must be done in an
instant. Assistant Referees are advised not to indicate advantage in any way.
This is the prerogative of the Referee.
Applying advantage comes naturally after a while, and is one of the Referees
favourite tools.
Questions
and Answers:
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Question 1. If a Referee applies an advantage, and the
attacking team take a shot at goal, but do not score (or the ball is saved by the
goalkeeper), can the Referee bring play back to the original offence?
Answer 1. If a Referee allows advantage following an
offence, and the attacking team subsequently take a shot on goal (in 2 to 3
seconds) but do not score (or the
goalkeeper prevents the ball from entering the goal), the Referee should not
bring play back and award the attacking team a free kick (or
penalty) for the original offence. This would be tantamount to offering the attacking team
two advantages (chances to score). This would not be fair, and is against the
'Spirit
of the Law'. By allowing advantage, the Referee gives the offended team a better
chance of scoring a goal, or a better change of positively progressing with
play. If following a foul, the offended team gain an advantageous position but
do not make the most of their advantage, then they should not be given a second
chance, just because they were not skilful enough to make the most of the opportunity.
Question 2 : A defender grabs the shirt of an attacking player. The
Referee sees the foul, but applies advantage by signalling to the attacking player. Unfortunately, the
attacking player is upset at having his shirt held, and elbows the defender in the
face. What action
should the Referee take?
Answer 2: When an advantage has been applied by the
Referee, he allows play to continue, thus any further offences
committed whilst play continues, must be punished in accordance with the normal
rules. The advantage clause is there to give an offended team the opportunity to
continue with play if the circumstance warrant it. The advantage clause is NOT
there to allow the offended team to commit an offence themselves, without fear
of the proper punishment being applied.
The Referee should stop play. Send off the attacking player for
‘Violent Conduct’. Play should be restarted with a direct free kick (or penalty
kick) to the defending team. The defending player should be cautioned.
Question 3: Should Referees wait to see, then
if the advantage is there, they should signal it.
Do you agree with this, or would you prefer an immediate signal, and then bring
play back if the
advantage does not ensue. How should the Law be interpreted?
Answer 3: When a Referee considers an advantage
situation, he has three options.
1. Stop play immediately and punish the original offence
with the award of a free kick
2. Allow advantage, and bring play back if
advantage does ensue within 2 to 3 seconds.
3. Ignore the challenge, and allow play to
continue normally, because no infringement of the Laws has occurred.
If an advantage is applied (even if it is only in
the Referee's mind), the Referee should indicate advantage to the players as
soon as he can; and not wait to see how play progresses. Early action by the Referee
to communicate advantage, will prevent players taking the Law into their own
hands, and seeking retribution.
There is sometimes not enough time for a Referee to signal advantage
during an incident. Just because the Referee does not signal advantage (or he
does not have
enough time to signal), it does not mean that he cannot call play back if the
advantage does not ensue. If a Referee agrees advantage in his own mind, he
should also communicate this to the players as soon as he can.
Question 4: Explain why a Referee should award a goal to
the opposing team, when whilst the ball is in play, a defender intentionally handles, or
punches the ball into his own goal?
Answer 4: If a defender intentionally handles the ball or
punches it into his own goal, then the Referee should allow play to continue when the team
against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage (Law 5).
In this case, the goal is much more advantageous than awarding a penalty kick - which
can be missed!. The defending player should be cautioned for deliberately
handling the ball.
Question 5: An attacking player is ‘dribbling’
the ball inside his opponent’s penalty area and is tackled hard by one of the
defending players. The Referee blows the whistle. The goalkeeper and the defending players
all stop playing, but the attacking player manages to keep his feet and continues on with
the ball and kicks it into the goal. The Referee allows the goal to stand because he said
that the attacking player had the advantage anyway.
Was the Referee correct in applying advantage and allowing that goal after he blew the
whistle?
Answer 5: By blowing his whistle, the Referee has indicated to
ALL of the players, that he has stopped the game. Any goal scored after the whistle has
been blown, and before the Referee has signalled to restart the game (or before the game
has been restarted in a legal way by the team that had been offended against) must not
count. The attacking player’s goal in this question, is illegal. A Referee applying ‘advantage’ should do so by indicating
this with a forward upward sweep of both arms, and by shouting "Advantage Play
on". If there is not time enough to signal this, the Referee can award ‘Advantage’
in his mind – and if the advantage does not ensue, he can bring play back to the
scene of the original offence. Blowing the whistle means that the Referee has stopped play
– it is not a signal used to allow an ‘advantage’ to continue.
Blowing the whistle to indicate advantage, or to allow advantage to continue would be
totally confusing to players and spectators.
Question 6: A defender, denying an obvious goal
scoring opportunity, fouls a first attacker. However, the ball goes to a second
attacker. The Referee applies the advantage, and the second
attacker shoots towards goal and scores. The questions that come to mind are:
Question (a): Does the original misconduct by the defender get resolved since
the goal was scored? In other words, should the original misconduct - denies an
obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) - be disciplined with a sending off?
Answer (a): Award a goal and caution the defender for unsporting behaviour. Play
resulted in a goal, therefore the denial was not effective.
Question (b): As a follow on, if the attacker shoots and a goal was not scored
(advantage did not materialise), should the Referee allow play to continue, but
send off the defender at the next natural stoppage?
Answer (b): Play should not be
stopped to penalise
the original offence. The defender should be cautioned for unsporting
behaviour at the next suitable moment.
Because the Referee allowed an advantage, and the attacking team executed this
by attempting a shot on goal, then the advantage has materialised. If a
team executes an advantage situation within 2 to 3 seconds, for example, by
taking a shot on goal, or by passing the ball to a colleague, it makes no
difference whether the act is successful or not. Once the team have taken the
chance to positively use the advantage, then play cannot be brought back to the
original offence, just because they were unsuccessful.
The words "if the anticipated advantage does not ensue
at that time," in the advantage
clause, refer to situations following a foul, where a player is illegally
thwarted by an opponent from continuing with play within 2 to 3 seconds. For
example, a player is fouled, but stumbles forward with the ball; he is unable to
continue running forward at the same pace he used prior to the foul. The Referee
decides that because the momentum of this player was illegally baulked, the
player has been denied the right to continue with his attack. The Referee makes
a quick decision, and concludes that this player's team would benefit more by the
award of a free kick (for the original foul), than by being allowing them
further time for the fouled player to regain his balance, which looks very
unlikely to happen.
Question (c): If the original scenario only involves one attacker (for example - a
defender, denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity, fouls an attacker.
However, the attacker manages to stay on his feet. Upon the foul, the Referee
applies the advantage, and the attacker shoots and scores (or does not score).
Is the same principle applied, and should the defender be sent off at the first
opportunity?
Answer (c): A goal is scored, so it was not denied, and the defender should not be
dismissed. The use of the advantage clause does not absolve the Referee from the
responsibility of dealing with the offender, who would again be cautioned
depending on the severity of the offence.
Note: FA
publication 'Advice on the Application of the Laws of the Game' (page 10):
"If an offence is going to result in a
sending-off, then it might be wiser not to allow advantage, thus reducing the
risk of further misconduct."
Question 7: If the Referee is unsighted, but an Assistant
Referee sees the foul; is the Assistant Referee allowed to apply the advantage
clause? Is he also allowed to shout out, "Play on, Advantage!" or make
any advantage (play-on) gesture to the players with his hands?
Answer: 7 Although the Law 5 advantage clause is a power
specifically given to the Referee (and not to the Assistant Referee), there is
nothing to stop the Assistant Referee applying the 'spirit of the advantage
clause' in his mind; so long as he does not communicate this in any way to the
players. The fact that an Assistant Referee makes no advantage communication to
the players, is a clear enough indication for players to play-on. Advantage, or
play-on signs by an Assistant Referee risk causing major confusion. If there is
a possible advantage to be had, then the Assistant Referee should keep his flag
down. (It is also possible for an astute Assistant Referee to give a 'hidden'
signal to the Referee indicating that a foul has occurred. For example, by
discretely tugging his own shirt.) If the advantage does not ensue in the next
2 to 3 seconds then the Assistant Referee can raise a flag to indicate to the
(unsighted) Referee that a foul had occurred.
An alternative method, is for the Assistant Referee to raise a
flag immediately when the foul occurs, thus allowing the Referee to apply the
advantage or not. Whatever method the Assistant Referee uses, will depend very
much on the Referee's pre-match brief to his Assistants (see below for an
example). In general terms, the first method is no different to that used by
Assistant Referees when judging offside scenarios, whereby some discretion is
allowed in delaying the flag signal, or by not making a signal at all. The aim is
to keep the game flowing when possible - and the Assistant Referees
(along with the Referee) also have an important part to play in this.
In the meantime, the Assistant Referee must try to maintain
his position with regards to monitoring any offside infringements.
Example words for the Referee's pre-match brief to his
Assistant Referees covering
advantage situations could be something along the lines of.......
"Signalling, deciding and applying the advantage clause
is my prerogative. Please do not indicate advantage to players by making any
verbal or hand signals. If I am unsighted and you see a foul, try to give me a
'hidden' signal that a foul has occurred. For example, by discretely tugging
your own shirt. If I do not see the foul (or your discrete signal), and it is a
minor foul, apply the 'spirit of the advantage clause' in your mind and keep
play going when you can - and only flag if the advantage does not ensue in 2 to
3 seconds. Always try to maintain a proper position with regards to monitoring
any offside infringements. If I miss your flag signal, please drop it if play
continues to the advantage of the team who was fouled. Else retain the flag
signal and I will consult with you when it notice it."
Question 8: An attacking player takes a free kick, and plays the ball a second time but it accidentally deflects to an opponent. Should the Referee apply advantage and allow play to continue?
Answer 8: The Referee should not apply advantage and allow play to continue. The Advantage clause was introduced to deal with offences committed by an opponent, and not for Law infractions committed by a player by himself.
In accordance with Law 13 (Free Kicks), during the taking of a free kick, if the ball comes into play, and the kicker touches the ball a second time (except with his hands) before it has touched another player, play should be stopped and an indirect free kick awarded to the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred.
Question 9: Should a Referee only apply the advantage clause for Law 12 infringements?
Answer 9: The 'advantage clause' allows the Referee to set aside the written Law and apply a personal interpretation of 'fair play' by not stopping play for an offence, if in his opinion, the team offended against would benefit from this decision.
Law 5 states:
The Referee allows play to continue when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalises the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time.
There is no clause that sates the offence must be a penal offence. It can therefore be a penal (direct free kick) or a technical (indirect free kick) offence.
Although there is nothing in the Laws to stop a Referee applying advantage after the ball has come into play from a free kick say, and the free kick taker commits an offence by touching the ball a second time before it has touched another player, generally, the Referee will stop play in such circumstances, as he would do if a foul throw has been taken. This is more in keeping with the
'spirit of the advantage clause', which was generally introduced for fouls committed against an opponent, and not so much for offences committed by a player
all by himself!
Question 10: An attacking player is brought down unfairly in the defending
team's penalty area.
The Referee goes to stop play, but notices that the ball has travelled on to a
second attacking player who has a potential goal scoring opportunity.
The Referee waits for a couple of seconds to see if the second attacking player
has a clear advantage. A defending
player moves in to close down the second attacker, and the Referee decides that
it is no longer a clear advantage. The Referee then decides to stop play, in
preparation to award a penalty kick to the attacking team. As the Referee blows
his whistle, the second attacking player shoots towards goal but misses. The
Referee awards a penalty kick, because (in his opinion) the advantage had not
ensued at the precise moment when he stopped play. The defending team's manager went mad, saying that the
attacking team had completed their advantage by shooting; and that no penalty
should be given. What should the Referee do?
Answer 10: Indeed this is a
tricky predicament for a Referee to decide.
When
the Referee blows his whistle in this type of situation, he indicates to the
players, that the game is stopped. Any
goal scored after the whistle has been blown must therefore be illegal.
If the player makes a shot on goal before the Referee has stopped play, and the
Referee has allowed the attacking team a scoring chance, the advantage should
not be brought back.
In the scenario mentioned in the question, it is clear that the Referee decided
to stop play, because in his opinion, the advantage had not ensued, due to the
second attacking player being closed down. The penalty kick is therefore the
correct decision in this particular case.
The Referee should always be prepared to say to the manager, that he (the
Referee) had stopped play BEFORE the shot was made. Please also note - that
there will always be a delay between the Referee deciding to stop play, and
actually bringing the whistle to the Referee's mouth and blowing it. It is this
delay that is the cause of this question's predicament (and not the Referee's
decision making).
Some
tips:
(a).
As a general rule, unless a goal is 100% definitely going to be imminently
scored, it is wiser for a Referee NOT TO AWARD ADVANTAGE to an attacking
team in their opponent's penalty area (especially if a penal offence has been
committed).
(b).
When an attacking team enters the penalty area, and there is a high probability
of a challenge being made, the Referee should mentally prepare himself to
potentially make a very quick decision and whistle signal. The aim is to
minimise the delay factor, and prepare for the worse.
(c).
If the Referee has to award a penalty kick - there will undoubtedly be a huge
amount of criticism from the defending team. In these types of situations, the
Referee must be very strong in the delivery of his penalty making decision. Any
wavering at this point will open up the floodgates of protest.
The Referee should blow his whistle very loud, make his way to the
penalty spot, and point his hand downwards towards it.
Question
11: If a defender player commits a foul on an attacking player that denies an obvious
goal scoring opportunity, and the referee applies advantage, if the attacking
team subsequently score a goal, should the defender be sent off?
Answer
11: The actual Law 5 stipulation is as follows:
"A Referee allows play to continue when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalises the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time."
Further to this, the following advice can be found on page 8 of The FA's 'Advice on the Application of the latest Laws of the Game' booklet.
"When a referee allows play to continue when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage, it is important that he should quickly indicate clearly by voice, and the approved signal, that he is taking this action. This clause is also designed to ensure that the team offended against does not suffer unfairly if a referee reasonably attempts to invoke advantage but then extraneous factors contrive to immediately nullify the anticipated benefit (e.g., the ball "bobbles" awkwardly; the fouled player trips over his own feet/immediately loses his balance, etc).
In the event, however, of the fouled player being allowed the advantage then wasting it as a result of a subsequent error (or a colleague who receives the ball immediately from the advantage loses it, or shoots wide of goal, etc) then play should not be halted to penalise the original offence."
In short, if a referee applies an advantage following a DOGSO offence, and allows the attacking team to take a shot on goal, the advantage has ensued, and an obvious goal scoring opportunity has been allowed. It makes no odds whether a goal is scored or not. Therefore, the original perpetrator cannot be sent of for DOGSO. A yellow card would normal suffice under such circumstances.
It's very very straightforward, and there is no requirement to make it any more complicated than it needs to be".
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