Question Number: 27274

Law 5 - The Referee 3/28/2013

RE: rec Other

saul of chicago, usa asks...

A free kick is taken by a Blue player, he kicks the ball a second time due to failure of his teammates to take the ball, a Red player starts a quick counter attack off that play before the ref can blow the whistle for double kicking. Can an advantage be given to Red rather than giving an indirect free kick for double kicking?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Saul
At one time advantage was confined to Law 12 offences. The modern thinking is that Law 5 allows play to continue when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage in all situations.
So instead of the referee stopping play to award the IDFK for the double touch infringement to the opponents advantage can and should be played.
Advantage cannot be played on a throw in as the Law insists that the throw in is turned over to the opponents. Nor can advantage be played on a goalkick where the ball has not left the penalty area. In those situation the requirements operate prior to the ball being in play.
In practise though it would be unusual for there to be advantage in a double touch situation. However one that could happen is that a goalkeeper takes a free kick inside the penalty area and mis kicks the ball. He then leaves the penalty area to prevent the ball going to an attacker and kicks the ball for a second time outside the penalty area to prevent at attacker winning the ball. The ball cannons off the attacker either directly into the goal or to a position where the attacker can continue on to score. Advantage can and should be played here on the double touch infringement.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Yes. Advantage may be used for any infringement that occurs after the ball is in play - such as a double touch on a free kick. In the US, this is a recent change in the interpretation for advantage.