Question Number: 23394

Law 5 - The Referee 5/29/2010

Steve of Stockton, CA US asks...

This question is a follow up to question 23329

Mr. Contarino responded:
'Most seasoned referees will tell you to generally avoid giving advantage inside the penalty area and USSF tells us never to give the advantage signal inside the penalty area.'

I'm not taking issue with this response, but can you give a reference for the USSF position on advantage in the penalty area?

I once called for a PK because of a trip in the area, but just as I blew my whistle, another attacker kicked the ball into the goal. The attacking team immediately asked for 'advantage', and my only response was, 'Sorry, boys, but I've already blown the whistle.' It was such a 'bang-bang' play that if I had waited just another moment before blowing, I'd have signaled for a goal instead of a PK.

I mentally kicked myself for focusing too much on the one attacker who got tripped that I did not see the other attacker in the larger context of the play, which prevented me from considering the possible advantage, but if the USSF says 'don't call advantage in the area', I'm off the hook!

(Fortunately for my conscience, the attacking team scored on the PK.)

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The 2008 Position Paper on 'Advantage in the Penalty Area' is available on the USSF website.

http://www.ussoccer.com/Referees/Laws-of-the-Game/Position-Papers.aspx

Advantage inside the penalty area is very important, since a certain goal is always better than a penalty kick for the victim and better than a dogso sendoff for the infringer. The mechanics are different.

Inside the penalty area, the referee watches and sees. If the ball goes immediately into the goal, award the goal. If not, call the penalty kick. Two seconds gives the referee all the time necessary to see and make the best decision.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Here is a quote from Jim Allen on his USSF official Q & A site from Sept 9, 2010


in no case, however, is the advantage signal to be given for an offense inside the penalty area. The time is too short for you to divert your attention from the critical decision to be made. You are still applying the advantage concept but the terms of the advantage decision change and having to give a signal could detract from the accurate application of that decision.

As to the rest of your question; live and learn. USSF does NOT say don't call advantage inside the penalty area. What they say is don't give the SIGNAL. Big difference