Advantage....when does it end

[Nimbleblade]

Incident in a match yesterday

Yellows v Greens,

Greens on the attack, green right midfielder receives the ball about 5 yards from the right corner of the box, cuts inside at which point yellow defender catches him on the thigh in a clumsy attempt at a tackle, green stays on feet I call advantage as he has space in front and approaching the edge of the box.....he takes another step and starts to lose control of the ball....

Put whistle to mouth to blow and bring it back when he hits an off balance shot... blow whistle and give free kick....

Yellows question bringing it back....explain decision which seems to be accepted.......

Greens end up scoring from the free kick when their attacker heads into goal..

Yellow captain again questions the decision to bring it back....

Happy at the time that I'd made the correct call but since have wondered whether it was the correct call.....especially as greens got a shot away even if it was unbalanced

Any thoughts?

 

[SM]

What you did sounds okay to me. If there was no advantage and the foul directly led to the shot being taken whilst off balance then bringing it back sounds like a good decision. However, sometimes rather than call advantage straight away after a foul, just delay a second or so to see what is going to happen then call advantage or bring it back for the foul. Same outcome but may have helped avoid the moaning in this situation.

The other consideration is was it DOGSO or a caution or just the free kick?

You don't want teams to be disadvantaged by you giving advantage. On the other hand you do not want to give the attacking team two bites of the cherry. Balance them two things out and bobs your uncle!

 

[DaveMac]

What I've noticed more and more in top level European matches I've watched recently is the refs calling advantage once the advantage has been played, if that makes sense. So often its a foul and they'll give it two or three seconds watching play develop before signalling advantage. Also sometimes taking two or three seconds to blow for the foul. So kind of navigates round your issue of saying advantage then still giving th free kick.

Much like sm said.

 

[Duncan Francis]

To answer your question 'When does advantage end.' The simple answer is when you decide it has !

 

[oh liner]

I know the standard in playing advantage is arms up 'play on advantage' but as the poster above says this is usually when the advantage has occurred. I like to get in before and say ' can we carry on gents, I've noticed the foul' or similar to show I'm aware of what's happened before giving the advantage

 

[Beezer]

For me the advantage will rarely be given defensive third , middle third it will end when im sure a player from the fouled team has gained full control of the ball and final third the foul will be given unless the player plays a through ball or gets a shot away
These are general personal rules I follow during a game but every advantage can play out in many ways ,making this post pretty irrelevant.

What I've noticed more and more in top level European matches I've watched recently is the refs calling advantage once the advantage has been played, if that makes sense. So often its a foul and they'll give it two or three seconds watching play develop before signalling advantage. Also sometimes taking two or three seconds to blow for the foul. So kind of navigates round your issue of saying advantage then still giving th free kick.

Much like sm said.

This is a very risky game to play in Sunday football !! many a time I have let a tackle ride called "if you can player " or similar to signal I have seen the foul, the fouled player then over runs the ball and has a little 2 footed lunge to win it back !!

Then we have the situation of you pulling play back for the original foul and sending the guy off for the lunge !!

sometimes best to just give the foul I find, especially in midfield .

 

[SM]

While we refs LOVE a great advantage, especially if it leads to a goal, we should exercise self control when considering when we throw the arms up and make the "advantage!" Shout - for how often will there will be a genuine advantage? Not often

I think this came from one of the refereesworld podcasts - stuck in my mind:

Sometimes - rarely - never

Sometimes in the attacking third, rarely in the middle, almost never in defensive third.

 

[DaveMac]

Also for most of us the level we are refereeing the advantage comes from the freekick. I was told the chances the tricky winger will be fouled, ride the tackle and then put in a pin point cross which is tucked away is almost none. However 40 yards from goal let the lumbering centre halves get in the box and throw a long freekick into the mixer is more likely to yield a goal.