Explaining the advantage rule

[Agogwe]

Hello everyone, could someone please tell me a good way to explain the advantage rule to someone who doesn't know much about soccer? I'm trying to explain it and I'm stumbling over my words. Thanks in advance.

Mods, if this is in the wrong forum, please move it.

[Jeff from Michigan]

Hello everyone, could someone please tell me a good way to explain the advantage rule to someone who doesn't know much about soccer? I'm trying to explain it and I'm stumbling over my words. Thanks in advance.

Mods, if this is in the wrong forum, please move it.


In soccer, the referee has the discretion to ignore trifling fouls in order to allow the game to flow. Therefore, if a minor foul has no real consequence to the game, it's usually ignored.

More importantly, though, soccer has a strong tradition of not letting a team profit by cheating, or gain a tactical advantage by fouling in order to stop the play. As a result, if the referee thinks that allowing play to continue would be better for the fouled team, he calls out "play on" or "advantage" --- which is another way of saying "I saw that foul...but you're better off if you keep going" --- and play proceeds.

[TReff]

Although Jeff has stated the basic rule well, there are two additional aspects to Advantage rule.

For a 2-3 seconds following the foul and the decision to allow the attacking team to play the advantage, the Ref observes and determines whether the advantage anticipated actually develops.

Thus, if the fouled attacker intially plays through the foul but soon fails to gain the advantage by continued play, the Ref will blow the whistle to stop the continued play and will award the free kick from the spot of the original foul.

This purpose of this short observation window is to ensure that the fouled team gains some advantage instead of the free kick.

If the foul was so severe that a card was called for and the Ref allows the advantage, the Ref can and should return to the offender at the next stoppage and book him.

[whipple]

... he calls out "play on" or "advantage" --- which is another way of saying "I saw that foul...but you're better off if you keep going" --- and play proceeds.

Jeff,

A good explanation up to a point. One should clarify that the context of "trifling" is that the offense had no effect and therefore there was no reason to stop and restart play. One might also want to add that when the referee recongizes a foul by signaling "advantage play on!", whilst sweeping their arms up and forward, they are also announcing the fact that should the anticipated advantage not materialize, they are reserving the option of stopping play and restarting back at the point of the original offense.

The latter aspect of advantage is something which appears to cause great confusion with some of the men's amateur teams I have been doing indoor over the Winter. They see it as two dips at the well particularly if one calls it too quickly after the foul, and more than a second or two elapses before you call it back.

Sherman

[Jeff from Michigan]

Well guys...remember that he wants a simple way to explain things "to someone who doesn't know much about soccer."

Somehow, I don't think that getting into the minutiae of how much time to wait to watch for a consequence --- or how to define "trifling" --- will do much to help him. And it would probably simply make the poor listener's eyes start to glaze over.

[Statesman]

Here's how I would tackle it:

If a team is in the middle of an attack, they typically string together a series of passes and plays to set up a good shot on goal. If one of the attackers gets fouled in this process, sometimes it is not always the best option to actually stop the play and restart with a free kick because it would break up this sequence. A good example is when a direct shot opens up as a result of the foul -- all the attackers have to do is take it. For whatever reason, if it is more beneficial for the play to continue at that moment instead of stopping for a kick, the referee has the option to apply "advantage" -- a verbal and visual signal that a foul has occured but the game will not stop because it would hurt the attackers more to do so. Another good example is when the ball is on the way into the goal when a foul occurs; rather than stop play with a kick, the referee applies advantage and allows the ball to score.

[XYZ]

Andvantage is kind of like offside in football, where the offense can take the play or the penalty. In soccer there's no time to ask the attacking team which they want, so the referee must use his own judgement.

[Agogwe]

Thanks for the help everyone. "Jeff from Michigan" and "XYZ" thanks for the simple explanation, it was very helpful. As for all the finer points, those were helpful for me personally, so thanks to you all too. :)

[IASocFan]

In watching high school and college basketball, I've noticed more advantage calls. Nothing too noticeable, but more of the no harm no foul call.

[jc508]

It sounds as some are confusing a trifling foul with advantage. If it is trifling, then it is NOT a foul, whereas, advantage is a way of dealing with fouls when there is an advantage to be had.

As for a simple way of explaining advantage:
If A is fouled and immediately after the foul there is an advantageous opportunity for A's team at that moment (ball goes to teammate or fouled player recovers significantly), then the ref should apply the advantage clause.
Don't let the team that committed the foul be rewarded by their act.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[whipple]

jc,

A trifling breach of the Laws is a foul or infraction which has no effect. Do not confuse trifling with trivial in the context of Law 5 and Law 5; IBD 8. It is the doubtful breach which is not a foul.

A trifling breach is a foul or infraction, and could even be quite serious, but we do not stop play because it had no effect on the opponents. A foot lifting during a throw-in, an attempt to trip, foul and abusive language, etc. If they have no effect, we do not stop play but we may deal with them at the next stoppage in play if they were misconduct. Since there was no effect or injustice, there is no compelling need to make a special signal for a trifling breach since you are not going to stop play in any event.

When a foul does have effect and we might very well stop play but judge that either the fouled team would be even more disadvantaged if we did so (ie. by giving the defense a chance to set-up) or, in the more recent interpretation, that the fouled team may still have an advantage, but we need time to judge this, we recognize the foul, and announce our intentions of calling it back if it does not materialize, by signalling "Advantage, Play-On!". This lets the offended team know that we have not ignored them, and prevents retaliation, as well as letting the perpetrator know that we saw what they did.

I think the simplist way to understand advantage is in the context that the referees duty is to manage the game with the LEAST interference possible. This means that unless there is injustice and a team is disadvantaged, we should not stop play.

Sherman

[refmike]

In the USSF referee training material the example is that when a defender tries to stop a team from advancing but the team is able to stumble thru and continue the advance, the referee should not stop the play to call the foul. That would be doing the defenders job for him.

[jkc313]

Thanks for the help everyone. "Jeff from Michigan" and "XYZ" thanks for the simple explanation, it was very helpful. As for all the finer points, those were helpful for me personally, so thanks to you all too. :)

If the person you are trying to explain this to knows anything about basketball
use the example of a guard that steals the ball on a breakaway gets fouled when it would be to his advantage to continue and make the easy layup.

[Claymore]

Just got back from the DC/SJ game. Stott should have read this thread before he laced up the boots today. :rolleyes:

[IASocFan]

Just got back from the DC/SJ game. Stott should have read this thread before he laced up the boots today.

Sometimes you need to ignore advantage for some game control. Like the KC-Chicago game, the DC-SJ game was in need of some player management. :D :p

[Claymore]

Sometimes you need to ignore advantage for some game control. Like the KC-Chicago game, the DC-SJ game was in need of some player management. :D :p

Agreed, but you don't ignore advantage when a team is marching in at the top of the area. Ben Olsen received a pretty ticky-tack foul at the top-left of the area before releasng the ball to Earnie Stewart, who was so wide open for a shot from about 14 yards out that even I can have put that one away; I could see Earnie's eyes light up while the ball rolled to him.

I wouldn't have wanted to be in the room during the assessment last night.

[abu-karl]

Claymore is right. Scott made two very, very bad decisions where he should have let play continue. But I guess even refs have to get the kinks out in the first few games of the season.

[HeadHunter]

Sometimes you need to ignore advantage for some game control. Like the KC-Chicago game, the DC-SJ game was in need of some player management. :D :p

Agreed, and this could possibly be Stotts excuse for several of the calls, but at least one clearly took an open shot on net away from Earnie Stewart ie the whistle came before Stewart shot. Use Player Management in the center of the field not the attacking third.

[Agogwe]

Sometimes you need to ignore advantage for some game control. Like the KC-Chicago game, the DC-SJ game was in need of some player management. :D :p

Do you really think that the first break Stewart had wasn't a prime time to call advantage and let the play go? The game was getting a little crazy, but I didn't think it was so out of hand to call that foul.

BTW thanks again everyone, successfully explained the rule and he said he understands the game better because of it.

[Carolina]

Why isn't the advantage rule applied to minor bumping fouls against a goal keeper that has gained possession of the ball? Making him put it on the ground for a free kick is taking away options, particularly the quick counter attack.