Question Number: 26326

5/11/2012

RE: Comp Under 17

Thomas Connolly of Woodland, Calif USA asks...

Defender commits an on purpose handball inside the 18 but the ball still goes in the net (either directly or on the rebound by an attacker).

May you call advantage and allow the goal to score (and still red card the player), or does play stop at the point of the foul, the pk is taken, and the defender booked.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

You may absolutely play advantage and count the goal. But not if you are too fast on your whistle - once the whistle sounds, play is stopped, even if a half second later we wished it hadn't stopped.

If you play advantage and they score, then a goal hasn't been denied, so there is no sendoff. A caution can be considered for unsporting behavior.

USSF recommends that we do not *signal* advantage in the penalty area. If the ball goes in the net in a second or two, all is good. If not, call the foul and PK.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Thomas
Yes advantage can and should be played with the goal awarded. The player can still be cautioned for unsporting behaviour if the referees so wishes but the player cannot be sent off as nothing has been denied and there is no free kick which is part of the DOGSO conditions.
A goal is the best advantage that a team can have. Now there are some that suggest that the penalty kick should be called and the player sent off for denying a goal scoring opportunity as it is a 'better' advantage. That was never the intent of the DOGSO sending off Law nor is a penalty a certain goal. The referee IMO should delay his decision slightly to allow play to unfold. If the goal is not scored the referee can then award the penalty and send off the opponent for denying an obvious goal or goal scoring opportunity.
I always refer to the Barcelona v Arsenal Champions League 2006 Final game where the Arsenal goalkeeper was sent off for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. Had the referee delayed his decision slightly he could have awarded a goal and then cautioned the goalkeeper. Instead he had to go with a free kick and a dismissal because of his quick decision. It took Barca almost 80 minutes to score and then it was to equalise. It could easily have happened that the game might have been lost by Barca on a 'goal' that had to be disallowed because the referee did not play advantage which cancelled it out.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

If ever there was a situation that was ripe for the giving of advantage, you have just stated it. Hopefully, the referee has swallowed his whistle and is waiting to see what happens. Ball in goal, whistle for goal, issue caution to defender and accept his thanks that he was not sent off (since the goal was scored, we cannot send him off for a goal denied)!

Law 5 specifically gives the referee the power to hold off on the whistle when an offense is committed, when holding the whistle gives the offended team a chance to score or to advance the ball. It feels so good when we do this right!

Remember that we normally do not announce advantage in the penalty area, we simply wait a couple of seconds to see what occurs next. We can always come back and give the penalty, and in this case a red card to the defender, if the ball does not go into the goal, but there isn't a team out there that would prefer a penalty kick and sending off over a real, live goal.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 26359