Kick-off

[gillburt]

In my match yesterday.... green kick off with a grubber

Before ball reaches 10m line, green player tries to pick it up.
Makes a mess of it and knocks it forwards and upwards straight into the arms of red opponent who then legs it forward.

I play advantage and red quickly get to half-way line and so I call advantage over (figuring they're past the gain line for a scrum, and much further up the pitch if they'd opted for the kick to be taken again)

During this a few green players were staring at me expecting me to blow the whistle, so I shout, "I'm playing advantage - play on".

Was I right to play advantage like this from a kick-off?
Should I have blown as soon as green touched the ball before the 10m?
Is it one of those unwritten "charters"?

It's been bugging me....

 

[OB..]

Although Law 13.7 is specific, so is law 8 in saying "advantage takes precedence over most other laws". There is nothing to say you cannot play advantage here - it is not one of the Law 8 exceptions.

 

[Davet]

did you call "advantage" loud and clear as soon as the knock on happened?

if so then no problem, if you only called it later, ie when you mention it in the post, then they may have had a cause for confusion.

 

[triage]

did you call "advantage" loud and clear as soon as the knock on happened?

if so then no problem, if you only called it later, ie when you mention it in the post, then they may have had a cause for confusion.

then again if he didn't whistle the players had no right to stop. There are occasions apparently when us refs miss the occasional thing

 

[gillburt]

Er... no, didn't actually say "advantage"...

Didn't have a problem with the players being confused (I managed to surprise myself a bit), just wanted to check that there was no unwritten rule that you don't play advantage for this sort of thing (in the same way that a knock-on is never immaterial)


Ta

 

[Deeps]

Er... no, didn't actually say "advantage"...

Didn't have a problem with the players being confused (I managed to surprise myself a bit), just wanted to check that there was no unwritten rule that you don't play advantage for this sort of thing (in the same way that a knock-on is never immaterial)

I would and have played advantage here often and will always look for advantage opportunities like this. I firmly believe too that players are required to play until the whistle blows when they must stop playing; they need to get out of the habit of trying to anticipate when the referee is going to blow.

 

[David J.]

Underlying this is the same issues of whether you can end a match on a failed kickoff. Is not kicking it 10m an infringement? Is it inconsistent to say that if advantage should be played, then full time should be blown in the same case?

 

[Donal1988]

I would think that if the conditions are right then it is play on advantage red. A quiet word to green team ahead of next kickoff and maybe a better communication of advantage.

I know we expect players to play the whistle but I always feel that communicating advantage is so important.