The Advantage Rule

[KermitJagger]

Surprised this hasn't been posted yet, but the advantage rule is one of those ones where too much leeway is given to the umpires and their interpretation. James Worpel should feel incredibly hard done by as he stopped to not take advantage upon hearing the whistle, when he could have put it inside 50. That led to a goal for Essendon. In normal circumstances, 99/100 that free would be taken back - but in the last quarter of close games the whistles tend to get put away a bit.

So I'll concede, that doesn't happen a LOT because even umpires have more sense than that - but if the umpire thought there was advantage there why blow the whistle at all?

The difficult part is how to fix this without making the players take their free kicks and not play on to avoid more congestion. Potentially take a leaf from netball's book that if the advantage call doesn't directly advantage the team taking it, they then bring it back.

 

[ManInWhite]

For what it's worth, the rule was modified a number of years ago to take away the judgement call from the umpire. In the past if a ball had split free and the umpire perceived a benefit to the attacking team he would call play on. The change meant that we now follow the players lead. If a free kick is paid and a player pounces on the ball and plays on, we have to call play on. If the player then runs into an opponent or kicks out on the full or to an opponent everyone yells out "that's not advantage". Problem is that it wasn't the umpires call - they were just responding to the players actions. That action becomes the next act of play and if it works against the attacking team, it was their choice to play on.

Naturally the advantage play has to be a continuous part of the play. You can't have a free kick paid, player go back to take the kick, ball sit idle on the ground and then have a player swoop in and grab it.

Were you suggesting that advantage calls shouldn't have the whistle blown? That has been discussed a lot but currently all free kicks must be whistled whether there is advantage or not. The case for that is by not doing it, nobody knows if a free was there or not and leads to confusion on players.

 

[QuietB]

 

[Paul Kersey]

Not sure how Margetts has been going but howlers like this can cost umpires big, particularly at this time of year. They are all out there looking to get the big games with a view to umpiring the Grand Final.

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

I don't mind the play on call such as the one during the hawthorn game, the issue i have is that it isn't applied consistently. Every week we see players take the advantage, run a few meters and pass the ball off and turn it over or then get tackled themselves and the play is called back to the original free kick after the umpire has already called advantage.

The moment the umpires calls for advantage it should not be able to be called back. Put the onus solely on the players to make the decision to play on and remove the umpires from the equation and their interpretation.

 

[IKnowtheDog]

Players seem to be getting advantage wrong more than umpires.

Don't have a problem with Woepel been advantage, he took it, play on.

 

[QuietB]

I don't mind the play on call such as the one during the hawthorn game, the issue i have is that it isn't applied consistently. Every week we see players take the advantage, run a few meters and pass the ball off and turn it over or then get tackled themselves and the play is called back to the original free kick after the umpire has already called advantage.

The moment the umpires calls for advantage it should not be able to be called back. Put the onus solely on the players to make the decision to play on and remove the umpires from the equation and their interpretation.

The players made a decision to NOT play on

 

[QuietB]

Players seem to be getting advantage wrong more than umpires.

Don't have a problem with Woepel been advantage, he took it, play on.

Players play until they hear the whistle. Ball comes loose - you cannot expect Worpel to not pick it up on the assumption the umpire will give Shiels a free kick

 

[Andrew Mc]

The players made a decision to NOT play on

After he took about 5 or 6 steps. No issues with that one.

 

[Fluro Boots]

Probably an umpire error here, not a problem with the rule.

 

[radiojake]

that's deplorable

surely the umpire has the common sense to let them take the kick - Worpel didn't dispose of the ball and pulled up pretty quick

Reminds me of this one from 2012 Prelim

 

[QuietB]

After he took about 5 or 6 steps. No issues with that one.

3 or 4 steps and when does the whistle go?

You cannot officiate the game in slow motion replay

 

[QuietB]

that's deplorable

surely the umpire has the common sense to let them take the kick - Worpel didn't dispose of the ball and pulled up pretty quick

Reminds me of this one from 2012 Prelim

That is ridiculous as well - even worse considering the congestion

 

[Crankyhawk]

Later in same game Bellchambers gets a ruck infringement free then colyer takes advantage kicking goal (last goal of game). I thought ruck frees could not have advantage?

 

[hawkman]

After he took about 5 or 6 steps. No issues with that one.

It wasn't 5 or 6 steps. It was between the 3rd and 4th step where he started to stop

 

[MightyHawks]

Ridiculous

Umpire could have chosen to wave play on and gone for the usual rubbish ball spilled free in the tackle interpretation

Worpel not knowing whether or not the umpire was going to pay a free kick couldn't assume there was going to be a free kick until the whistle at which time he had the ball in possession.

Then he had to process that it was a free kick and then chose not to take advantage

If the umpires actually paid holding the ball consistently then Worpel wouldn't have needed to guess whether a free was being paid or not

 

[KermitJagger]

Players seem to be getting advantage wrong more than umpires.

Don't have a problem with Woepel been advantage, he took it, play on.

And if that happened to a Collingwood player?

 

[KermitJagger]

that's deplorable

surely the umpire has the common sense to let them take the kick - Worpel didn't dispose of the ball and pulled up pretty quick

Reminds me of this one from 2012 Prelim

Gee wiz that's even worse than the Worpel one, don't even remember it but an atrocious decision and blatant lack of understanding from the Umps.

 

[IKnowtheDog]

And if that happened to a Collingwood player?

If there's one thing Collingwood players are good at its butchering advantage.

Players need to be coached better how to play advantage.

 

[go_the_dockers]

I have said this many times, as soon as the umpire blows the whistle then the play should stop.

The soccer interpretation is so much better. The umpires puts his hands up, waits 5-10 seconds and determines if there is an advantage. If there is he does not nothing, if there is not an advantage the takes the play back.

 

[KermitJagger]

If there's one thing Collingwood players are good at its butchering advantage.

Players need to be coached better how to play advantage.

He didn't butcher the advantage, he took 3 steps and stopped when he realized every team mate had stopped and realized which way the free was going. The Umpire there showed no feel for the game.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

The thing I don't enjoy about the advantage rule is players stop when they hear the whistle. I'd prefer if they just let the game go, and if there isn't a clear advantage, then blow the whistle and bring the ball back. Seems sensible to me, which is probably why they don't do it that way.

 

[radiojake]

always taught to play to the whistle, but then the way advantage is paid, if you stop you can get burnt if your opponent continues on

They really should do the soccer style advantage - where the ref just raises his arms (maybe he calls out 'advantage') but if the advantage doesn't eventuate you blow the whistle

 

[IKnowtheDog]

The advantage rule could be done better.

However there are plenty of occassions where players don't play to the first, second or even third whistle.

Could the Hawthorn incident be managed better, possibly.

 

[Tas_Dean]

My problem with the way advantage was applied in plays like the Worpel instance is that the player likely has no idea which way the free has been paid, so if he kicks it, he risks giving away a fifty meter penalty. You see it often, a player "taking advantage" looking back over his shoulder trying to work out which way the free has gone.