THE AFL has contacted its clubs to clarify the application of the advantage rule after admitting the decision involving Collingwood's Scott Pendlebury in the Magpies' loss to Geelong last Friday night was incorrect.
The League's umpiring department wrote to all 17 AFL clubs on Thursday to reconfirm the rule, as it applies now for the 2011 Toyota AFL premiership season.
AFL umpiring manager Jeff Gieschen said the decision made against Pendlebury, which withdrew a certain goal, was incorrect as umpire Shaun Ryan had blown time-on too quickly and had not allowed the Magpie to take advantage of a free to teammate Cameron Wood.
Wood was paid a free kick for high contact from Brad Ottens in a ruck contest, before Pendlebury elected to take the 'advantage' and kicked the goal, which was subsequently disallowed by the field umpire.
The AFL has since clarified the goal should have stood because Pendlebury continued to play the ball, and under the new interpretation where 'advantage' is now determined by the player, his actions were legitimate.
After admitting on radio station 3AW on Wednesday there were elements of the rule that were confusing, Gieschen said the senior umpiring list had been taken through the revised 2011 advantage law at training this week.
Under the new interpretation for 2011, it is the player and not the umpire who initiates the 'advantage' play, while players must make an immediate decision as to whether they wish to take the advantage, or stop and take the free kick that has been awarded.
"We wish to re-state for all clubs that the umpire has been told to wait and observe whether a member of the infringed player's team elects to either stop immediately upon hearing the whistle to indicate he does not wish to take or continue to play in a manner which indicates he is taking the 'advantage'," Gieschen said on Thursday night.
Clubs have been informed of the umpires' instructions to apply the rule in the following manner:
- Blow the whistle to indicate a free kick has been awarded.
- Communicate which team is it to receive the free kick eg. "Free kick, Collingwood".
- If a player from that team (Pendlebury) doesn't stop or signal he doesn't want to take the advantage, the umpire will follow up by calling 'advantage, advantage,' and also indicate this by waving his arm.
- If the player from that team (Pendlebury) elects not to take 'advantage' by immediately stopping or signalling to indicate he wishes not to take advantage the umpire will ensure the ball is returned to the original recipient of the free kick (Wood).
- The umpire may then, if time permits, clarify the reason for the free kick by saying. 'Cameron Wood, contacted high by Ottens in the ruck contest' whilst at the same time signalling a high tackle.
