Decisions
The advantage rule
One of the most useful tools a referee has is the option not to stop play after a foul. The advantage rule keeps the game flowing and stops the rules from punishing the team that has just been fouled.
What advantage means
When a foul is committed, the referee can hold off blowing the whistle if the team that was fouled is in a better position by playing on.
The idea is simple. Stopping the match for every foul would sometimes hand the ball back to the team that committed the offence — the fouled team would lose the chance to attack while taking a free kick instead. Advantage lets the match continue when playing on is more useful than the free kick would be.
The signal is clear. The referee sweeps both arms forward and shouts "play on". The fouled team can carry on without assuming that the foul has been missed.
When advantage is given
Referees look for a few things before deciding to play advantage.
A clear chance to attack
The fouled team has the ball under control and a route forward, often into space or with a teammate ahead.
Position on the pitch
Advantage is far more common in midfield and the attacking third. In a team's own defensive area, the safer option is usually to stop play.
Severity of the foul
Advantage is rarely played for serious or violent fouls. Player safety and discipline come first.
Likelihood of the move continuing
The referee considers whether the attack is genuinely going to develop or whether the ball will be lost almost immediately.
When advantage is taken back
Advantage is not always final. The referee can come back and award the original free kick.
If the expected attack does not develop within a few seconds, the referee can return to the original foul and award the free kick from where it happened. This is sometimes called "calling back the advantage" and is signalled with the whistle and a return to the original spot.
In practice, referees give the move only a short window — usually just a few seconds — to see if the advantage genuinely benefits the fouled team.
Cards and advantage
Playing advantage does not mean the foul is forgotten.
If a foul deserves a yellow or red card, the referee can usually wait until the next stoppage and show the card then. Playing advantage does not erase the offence.
There are extra rules for serious offences. Advantage should not normally be played for serious foul play, violent conduct or a second yellow-card offence unless there is a clear chance to score. If advantage is played after a foul that denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, the player is usually cautioned rather than sent off because the attacking chance has continued.
A simple example
A typical advantage looks something like this.
A midfielder is clipped on the ankle as they release a pass. The pass reaches a teammate already running into a clear pocket of space in the attacking half. The referee sees the foul, but lets play continue with a "play on" signal. The teammate carries the move forward and the team gains a better position than a free kick would have given them.
If the pass had instead been intercepted straight away, the referee could have come back, blown the whistle and awarded the free kick at the spot of the original foul.
What to read next
Advantage is one of several judgement calls referees make during a match.