'Imbecile!' or 'Good decision, referee'? (by Stanley Lover)

Running towards goal with the ball, an attacker is clearly tripped by a defender.

All eyes turn to the referee. Team-mates and their fans scream,
"FOUL, REF!"
But, what is the referee doing? He's waving play on! His mouth is moving like a fish out of water. Verbal abuse follows.
"IMBECILE, REFEREE! DIDN'T YOU SEE THAT?"

Advantage (Fig.1) Incident seen, play on. One arm pointing to the incident, the other waving play on;
followed immediately by (Fig.2) the usual sweep forward movement of both arms.

You, the referee, did see the foul but the attacker stumbled through the trip and seemed likely to regain control of the ball. A goal chance is on, so you decide to apply the advantage rule.

"PLAY ON! ADVANTAGE." you shout, but your words are blown away on the wind - heard by only a few players nearby.
You sweep your arms forward - the traditional advantage signal - but the abuse continues, even when a goal is scored.
"YOU WERE LUCKY HE SCORED, REFEREE," cries one critic, "OTHERWISE, WE'D HAVE HAD YOUR SKIN - YOU BLIND ****!"

You are angry because you know you made an excellent decision but it was not understood.

It has happened before, to you and to colleagues you see suffer similar abuse in their games. So, where is the problem?

The problem lies with the advantage signal. You know, and other referees know, that it is supposed to mean, "Yes, there is a foul, but play on - advantage - for the moment." You also know that, if the advantage does not materialise after a reasonable delay, you can go back to the origin of the offence and award a free kick - plus, if appropriate, a yellow or red card.

The advantage signal tells only the second half of the story. Too often it is confused as meaning, "Play on - there's no problem." The first part - you saw and registered a foul- is the most vital but is not conveyed in the standard advantage signal.
How can we avoid the abusive reactions of players and fans? The advice is - add one gesture to the advantage signal to show clearly that you have registered an offence.

The illustration suggests an initial gesture of pointing to the place of the offence (1) for a few seconds, followed immediately by the usual sweep forward movement of both arms (2).

To be certain your message is clear, repeat the combined signal quickly.

This simple action does not replace the official advantage signal; it helps clarify and strengthen your decision.

Try it. If it works for you, fine; if it doesn't, you lose nothing, but at least you've tried to show how one of the best rules in the game is interpreted.
Seen in action, it is effective; abuse is stifled and occasionally you will hear a favourable comment, "GOOD DECISION, REFEREE!"

Yours in sport,
Stanley Lover
©Stanley Lover 2009