First Year L4 - Second Observation

[santa sangria]

Well, I have to disagree again. After you have had first year ARs stop running to flag breakaway fouls on the wing where the attacking team - and the referee - are desperate for an advantage rather than a SPA YC … then you brief ARs to think about advantage.

Could be a cultural thing. Lumping it into the box is not really a thing here. At all youth levels and through OA teams want to play.

If course context is everything - last minute goal down is different etc.

Generally young/new ARs need to be reminded to think before flagging!

 

[Big Cat]

I agree entirely. Even some way up the ladder from grassroots, it is hard to justify an advantage 40 yards away from goal and on the wing. Unless there is a clear stretch of 40 yards, and a numerical advantage in the middle for the attacking team (or some great behemoth who wins every header), you're almost always better off to give a free kick than to play an advantage outside of the attacking third, in the middle of the pitch.

Except that that's not what the Clubs or players want (the majority of the time), it's merely what the observer wants
This is a real bone of contention between clubs and observers and we're stuck in the middle. In my view, it's the clubs that pay our fee, not the observers, so we should be playing advantage most of the time regardless of whether we think the players are good enough or not
I'm very much with the clubs on this one, although I have to do what the observers want if I want to progress. That's our unwanted choice to make

 

[RyantheRef]

Except that that's not what the Clubs or players want (the majority of the time), it's merely what the observer wants
This is a real bone of contention between clubs and observers and we're stuck in the middle. In my view, it's the clubs that pay our fee, not the observers, so we should be playing advantage most of the time regardless of whether we think the players are good enough or not
I'm very much with the clubs on this one, although I have to do what the observers want if I want to progress. That's our unwanted choice to make

What the observer wants is what the FA wants; what the FA wants is what the authority wants; what the authority wants is what I will give the authority, since I am not the authority.

 

[SpecsSaver66]

Putting my coaching hat on for a second. Wide areas in pro football are usually 1 v 1 or even overload situations for the attacking team therefore a potential advantage,at those levels. Back to grassroots though,and these situations are far more benificial giving the free kicks. As has been well said previously.