Question Number: 18997

Law 9 - The Ball in and out of Play 5/5/2008

Avery Haskell of Overland Park, KS USA asks...

Can you apply advantage on a throw?

I AR'd with a referee who applied advantage in this situation:

Team A is attacking and dribbling by the touchline, team B taps it out just barely and everyone continues playing like it never went out. I signaled that its A teams throw but he waved me down and applied advantage. Legal?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

No. If the ball left the field, it is out of play. Period. And, as the AR on that touchline, it is your job to tell the referee if the ball leaves the field. If the referee perhaps misunderstood your flag for out of play, then it is possible he might have thought there was some offense you were calling, and that's what he waved down - hard to say without knowing if your surmise is from post game discussion or assumption. However, that scenario is unlikely - I suspect the referee just goofed. Hope he wasnt' being assessed.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

No. The ball went out of play. You may not give advantage in this situation. Your job as the AR was to indicate the ball was out of play and the direction of the throw. Your center referee decided he was going to ignore you and the LOTG and allow play to continue. Would like to hear what post game discussion you had with him

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Avery, if the referee acknowledged that the ball went out of play and allowed advantage she was wrong. Perhaps she said advantage referring to another play and did not realise that the ball went out of play. How did you signal out of bounds? Was your flag straight up? Was it straight up and waving? Or was it pointing in the direction of the impending throw, straight arm, end of flag level with the top of your head, a proper signal for a throw in? I assume you did indicate a throw in and the ref erroneously played advantage.