The new application of the advantage law

[Coco]

There has been a change in the way that referees are applying the advantage law in the last couple of seasons.

 

In the past the judgement on advantage was instant - and sometimes that would work for a team and sometimes not.

 

But the referees have gone down the route of rugby and are basically giving teams a free play.

 

I'm not a fan of this change - anyone like it?

[The xx]

There has been a change in the way that referees are applying the advantage law in the last couple of seasons.

 

In the past the judgement on advantage was instant - and sometimes that would work for a team and sometimes not.

 

But the referees have gone down the route of rugby and are basically giving teams a free play.

 

I'm not a fan of this change - anyone like it?

 

There are problems with both approaches. The 'old' way could provide situations where there is no advantage, as the team would have been in a better position if the player who had been fouled had got away.

 

The problem with the new way is that it leaves it to the referee's discretion, how long to allow play to continue for and in what situation there is an advantage. Like when they changed the offside rule, there is no black or white anymore, and you can see the problems and debate that has caused over the last few years.

[Paolo]

There has been a change in the way that referees are applying the advantage law in the last couple of seasons.

 

In the past the judgement on advantage was instant - and sometimes that would work for a team and sometimes not.

 

But the referees have gone down the route of rugby and are basically giving teams a free play.

 

I'm not a fan of this change - anyone like it?

 

 

This is not a change, this is how it should be.

[Commander Harris]

according to the laws of the game the decision to penalise the original offence must be taken within a few seconds.

I suppose what a "few seconds" means is open to interpretation but it certainly doesn't allow for a rugby style free play.

[Cut The Crap]

Haven't noticed any rugby-style free-play passages yet, but anything that keeps the play moving is fine in my book.

[269miles]

There has been a change in the way that referees are applying the advantage law in the last couple of seasons.

 

In the past the judgement on advantage was instant - and sometimes that would work for a team and sometimes not.

 

But the referees have gone down the route of rugby and are basically giving teams a free play.

 

I'm not a fan of this change - anyone like it?

 

As another poster has said , there is no real change to the law.

If refs are applying a 'free play' a la rugby , then by definition there must have been some advantage accrued.

 

I think the difference (if there is one and if I am not contradicting myself) it is that under the old rules , there had to be an advantage to the player who had been fouled. These days it just seems to be whether or not the attacking team gains an advantage.