Advantage Law - Just let them score!

[BrightonTiger]

Surely the original spirit of Penalty Advantage was to keep the game flowing and allow the attacking team to throw the ball around with nothing to lose.

Unfortunately how it is being refered close to the try line is giving the attacking team an unfair advantage.

Once advantage has been called teams are continuing to do 3 man pick and drives, with the referee becoming hypervigilent for any offside or hands on the ball. An inevitable new advantage is blown and so on and so on, more often than not resulting in a yellow card and try under the post. Quite honestly after the second advantage has been called you'd be better off letting them score in the corner.

I believe that after a couple of pick and drives, advantage should be over and called back for the original penalty. If teams don't have the ambition or imagination to throw the ball around when they have absolutely nothing to lose, then they can pick and drive till their hearts content from a tap penalty.

[ay2oh]

Surely the original spirit of Penalty Advantage was to keep the game flowing and allow the attacking team to throw the ball around with nothing to lose.

Unfortunately how it is being refered close to the try line is giving the attacking team an unfair advantage.

Once advantage has been called teams are continuing to do 3 man pick and drives, with the referee becoming hypervigilent for any offside or hands on the ball. An inevitable new advantage is blown and so on and so on, more often than not resulting in a yellow card and try under the post. Quite honestly after the second advantage has been called you'd be better off letting them score in the corner.

I believe that after a couple of pick and drives, advantage should be over and called back for the original penalty. If teams don't have the ambition or imagination to throw the ball around when they have absolutely nothing to lose, then they can pick and drive till their hearts content from a tap penalty.

Totally agree that the advantage rule is a joke. Referees just keep playing until the attacking team make a mistake no matter how many phases that they have gone through. Have always thought that a penalty try + yellow card is very harsh. They should give one or the other not both.

[DingDong]

Surely the original spirit of Penalty Advantage was to keep the game flowing and allow the attacking team to throw the ball around with nothing to lose.

100% sure it was not! Penalty advantage is played for a tactical or territorial advantage and not solely for Hail Mary passes.

[SthrnTiger]

The counter argument is that these penalties near the try line are normally given away by defending teams trying to slow the ball down.

What’s more ‘negative’ countless pick and goes or slowing the ball down cynically, probably the latter which is why I’m ok with it.

As a Tigers fan it’s infuriating as we always seem to give away those penalties but there’s a simple solution for that..

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IMHO

If you choose to run it over the gain line, advantage over.
If you kick it you either come back for the penalty or get the line out/points for drop goal.

[BrightonTiger]

Surely the original spirit of Penalty Advantage was to keep the game flowing and allow the attacking team to throw the ball around with nothing to lose.

100% sure it was not! Penalty advantage is played for a tactical or territorial advantage and not solely for Hail Mary passes.

According to the IRB The Principle of Advantage is "... the referee may allow play to continue in an effort to keep the game flowing".

Territorial or tactical advantage is the criteria used to decide if you have achieved an advantage.

I guess it depends upon the interpretation of "keep the game flowing".

[mol2]

I think there should be a time limit or a limited number of phases assuming no new penalty is conceeded.

If a new penalty is conceeded then fare enough clock or count shoud start again but 20 phases because of one infringement? No it has got silly.

3 phases and ref calls advantage over?

[Cardiff Tig]

I also think its ridiculous when a team moves 30 m down the field and then the refs blows up and goes back for the penalty

[DingDong]

Surely the original spirit of Penalty Advantage was to keep the game flowing and allow the attacking team to throw the ball around with nothing to lose.

100% sure it was not! Penalty advantage is played for a tactical or territorial advantage and not solely for Hail Mary passes.

According to the IRB The Principle of Advantage is "... the referee may allow play to continue in an effort to keep the game flowing".

Territorial or tactical advantage is the criteria used to decide if you have achieved an advantage.

I guess it depends upon the interpretation of "keep the game flowing".

Pick and go on or near a try line surely is flowing rugby and also exciting, also puts the emphasis on the defence (quite rightly) to be more honest or face a higher sanction, so I can't see your issue there.

[GB72]

Sadly these days advantage seems to be interpreted as scoring a try. It seems that we play advantage until the team scores or they make a mistake, apparently nothing short of actually scoring is deemed an advantage. I would say that 3 phases should be enough to either gain an advantage or to call the play back for the penalty.

[BengalTiger]

Another one where people look through the wrong end of the telescope IMHO, if the attacking team has an advantage close to the line and the defending team offend again, by creeping offside or hands in the ruck, the ref should just blow up for a penalty try, not just keep playing until someone gets carded.
All teams do it close to the line so the ref should stop it by blowing early and marching under he sticks, if it is repeated sure yellow card someone but it becomes tedious and weak refereeing does not help.

[Dokie]

Sadly these days advantage seems to be interpreted as scoring a try. It seems that we play advantage until the team scores or they make a mistake, apparently nothing short of actually scoring is deemed an advantage. I would say that 3 phases should be enough to either gain an advantage or to call the play back for the penalty.

Agree with a number of points raised here. In a similar vein, I feel the constant pick and goes in the last few minutes to run the clock down does nothing to enhance our sport. 3 phases before the ball has to be passed away from the breakdown area or kicked appeals to me as a good option.

[GETHIN EXILE]

the easiest way to sort out the problems around rucks and advantage is to ensure a single player picks the ball up and moves with it or passes it. the current situation where 3 or more players are bound together and the front one picks the ball up is basically the modern version of the "flying wedge". OK so its from a standing start but it makes it hard for a single defender to stop the ball carrier thus leading to defenders using any means possible to try and prevent the try being scored. Referees need to concentrate as much on the attacking side as the defenders at breakdowns close to the try line as very often the ball carrier comes into contact with a team mate who is in front of him as he breaks forward or tries to ground the ball, this is clearly accidental offside and should be refereed as such. Advantage should be 10 metres gained or 3 phases where there is less than 10 metres between infringement and the try line.

[JP14]

I feel there needs to be better definition of penalty advantage, some refs will hold advantage for a very long time, whereas others do not. Agree that in the red zone there needs to be restrictions on advantage and I think this could be something that the lawmakers are looking at as I'm sure World Rugby is looking into trying to prevent it being so easy for attacking teams to score once in the 22.

[ourla]

3 phases before the ball has to be passed away from the breakdown area or kicked appeals to me as a good option.

That my friend is a genius idea.

Unless I've missed something....