Question Number: 15928

Law 5 - The Referee 7/2/2007

RE: Adult

Kati hulbert of Metairie, LA USA asks...

When you allow for advantage on a foul / infraction, if a goal is not scored by the team it was committed against, does the referee call for the foul / infraction after the 4 count or allow play to continue?

Answer provided by Referee Jon Sommer

There is no such thing as a 4 count. advantage is completed when, in the opinion of the referee, the player fouled wasn't disadvantaged....a shot on goal is advantage over. Control of the ball seems to be a basic way for a referee to believe that advantage has been played

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If the advantage does not materialize after a short period of time, usually 2 to 3 seconds, the referee may decide to stop play and return to the spot of the foul for a free kick.

Scoring a goal is the highest form of advantage, but not the only one. If a player or her teammate can continue their attack in reasonably the same situation as before the foul, the advantage has probably been realized. If the player flubs up her shot, too bad for her, but it wasn't caused by the foul. If she gets off a good one but the keeper saves it, or it just misses the net, again that's just too bad. Taking a bad shot doesn't mean there was no advantage. But if the only shot available was a bad shot, then maybe there wasn't any advantage. Or if the player is still stumbling trying to regain her balance after the foul when she has to take her shot, then there was no advantage.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Kati,
Advantage does not ensure nor guarantee a goal. What advantage does is allow the referee to decide if the opponent's foul succeeded or failed in what it was trying to do to that player/team.

While advantage allows us to consider it is not designed to MAKE a goal a certainty only provides an opportunity to continue uninterrupted. Once the opportunity presents itself then advantage WAS realized and the foul is no more!

When an opponent fouls or deliberately cheats it is generally done to try and win the ball (here we see careless foul) or break up attacking play or prevent a shot on goal (here we see reckless and thus cautionable yellow card misconduct) or unfortunately possible to do physical harm or actually fulfill DOGSO criteria! (These are sending off offences and show the red card)

Now if we see that this attempt has failed and the player is still able to continue or the ball breaks kindly to his team mates Law 5 allows us to use our discretion in letting play continue in favor of the player/team who was fouled rather than stop the play as the opponent who did foul, was trying to do.
If there is additional misconduct we can apply that sanction at the next stoppage unless there is a pressing need to deal with it immediately. Remember the team that fouls deserves no consideration to stop play and allow them time to set up a wall or get more people in behind the ball.

While advantage is in the opinion of the referee as to when it is realized (2 to 4 seconds) once realized we do not go back to the point of the foul as we have in fact discounted it as important to play. If there is MISCONDUCT attached that does not go away and in fact if play was stopped to show a card for that misconduct the restart is in fact an INDFK from the point of the original incident? It should be noted that we USUALLY wait for a natural stoppage before showing this card however it is well within our power to do so!

Advantage should generally be more than just keeping possession and certainly more applicable the closer to the opposing goal line. Advantage does not however guarantee a goal, it is only an opinion that play is better to continue than stop and award the free kick.

My method to signal advantage uses the arm sweep and holds it as I say ADVANTAGE! I watch to see IF that advantage materializes I then say ?PLAY ON!?, and drop the arm sweep IF the opportunity allows me to do so, if not, I blow the whistle and we are back to the foul!

It is YOUR opinion of course as referee if there was a definite advantage be it a shot or a chance to continue attacking play within open play. You need to pretty much make up your mind within a few seconds, however, in those cases where a DELAYED whistle might help on those balls that might score say in the penalty area you might not actually say or signal advantage, what you doing is awaiting an outcome before you decide to blow. Because if you blow the whistle play stops! To do that just before a ball crosses the goal line is an experience you do not want although most of us have done so at some point in our careers!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Usually the referee has 2-3 seconds to bring back the original foul if the advantage does not pursue. Just because the shot was missed does not mean that the advantage did not pursue. Also, referees need to use advantage only when the situation calls for it. Obviously this depends on where the ball is on the field, where attackers/defenders are, the angle of the player to the goal, etc. If the ball is in the penalty area, the referee must look at advantage differently as well as it is tough to beat the advantage of a penalty kick, but certainly can happen in some circumstances.