Question Number: 26478

Law 5 - The Referee 6/20/2012

RE: Rec and Classic Under 15

Derrek of Appleton, Wisconsin United States asks...

What is the correct way to call advantage? Like if the player commits a foul and then, the attacking team gains possession and then loses it. Also, what is the correct way of doing a drop ball when a team has possesion of the ball and the whistle is blown? Thanks.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Derrek
Advantage can be a difficult call. The referee has to judge what will happen over the next 3/4 seconds of play. My advice is to wait a second to see what is developing then when the attacking team has control of the ball in a promising position looking to continue, raise both arms in front of the body and shout advantage. If the advantage does not accrue such as the player falls over or loses the ball then blow the whistle and go back to the original foul. If asked simply say 'There was no advantage' .
On a dropped ball simply announce to players in the vicinity that it is a dropped ball restart. The teams may decides to contest for the ball or not. If it is contested simply hold the ball in both hands with the top palm facing down and then drop the ball. When it touches the ground it is in play.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Many referees develop a bad habit of swinging their arms forward as if giving an advantage signal, when what they really meant was there was no offense, or only a trivial one. Advantage applies to real live offenses, that but for the attacking team having an opportunity to press an advantage (be it numbers up, proximity to the goal or whatever) would be an offense the referee would definitely have called.

So, having seen an offense that definitely needed whistling, but realizing that the attacking team had, for example, just passed the ball to a teammate with a shot on the goal, the referee should hold the whistle, and depending on proximity to the penalty area, either say nothing, or call out 'Advantage! Play on!' If, let's say, the pass is intercepted by a defender, then the advantage was not realized and the referee should blow the original offense. If the offense involved a sending off offense, in all but an exceptionally few cases, advantage should not be applied, unless the ball is on it's way into the goal, for the offended team.

If a dropped ball is required, do it as quickly as possible to get the ball back into play. There is no need to have a ceremonial dropped ball. There is no requirement under the LOTG for any player to be present, only that the referee drop the ball where it was located when play stopped, and that it touch the ground before it can be played by either team. As Ref McHugh suggests, keeping one hand on top of the ball helps keep it from being kicked back up into the ref's face! If the teams practice Fair Play, a dropped ball usually is taken by the team last in possession, or it is kicked back to the keeper to start a new phase of play. The referee can promote Fair Play, make suggestions, use personality, etc. but cannot force a team not to participate.