Advantage

'3.3.4. Advantage

If the head referee determines that stopping play due to a foul would provide an advantage to the fouling team, the referee may call advantage by raising one hand straight into the air.'

United States Quidditch Rulebook 9

To players of other sports, the advantage rule may have been slightly more familiar than it was to me, someone who only really follows tennis - where 'advantage N' follows 'deuce'. Not exactly helpful for adjudicating a contact sport. However, it was a rule that needed adding, because evidently it should not be the case that a player can foul someone with the knowledge that it would nullify the attack on the fouling player's team.

Note: I prefer to read the above rule as 'stopping play due to a foul would provide a disadvantage to the fouled team' because it makes more sense in my head to consider it this way around.

The rulebook is fairly clear on most things regarding advantage, detailing for example where bludger control should and should not change, whether or not a snitch catch is good, and what to do if a second foul occurs. However it is not exhaustive on how to call the end of play under advantage. I believe that the five points listed are far too often taken as the be all and end all of when to end an advantage call and reset the quaffle play (and whatever else as necessary). This leads to long and pointless periods of advantage play where the fouled team has no distinct advantage for extended periods of time, when it would be better to just adjudicate the foul and try again.

Waiting until the fouled team scores is never going to be a good decider because, with all the good will in the world, some fouled teams just aren't going to be strong enough to get through the opposing team's defenses consistently. They could walk forward slowly, pass from side to side, and never make a good enough angle to take an accurate shot. If the fouled team aren't making good strides towards to score a hoop - fast movement, quaffle-carrier not locked in a wrap or tackle - and are stuck in a stalemate, then it's time to call that advantage has abated. The fouled team is going to have a better shot at this point from the quaffle being reset, which will probably give the quaffle-carrier more space and they will also likely now outnumber the opposition.

Equally, waiting until the fouling team has the quaffle is just as likely to lead to overly lengthy advantage periods. A team could maintain quaffle possession by passing backwards, not advancing towards the hoops, and therefore wouldn't be losing any advantage by blowing the whistle to reset play (though of course, if there's a pass back to keeper, it may be prudent to wait a couple of seconds to see if they will lead a fast break). Possession of a quaffle doesn't really give a team an advantage, so doesn't work as a steadfast rule. Obviously if the quaffle does end up in the possession of the fouling team, that would signal the end of advantage.

Oh, and if the fouling team somehow manages to score during advantage from anything other than a ridiculously ridiculous long-shot, you've gone seriously wrong somewhere.

The other two points should be followed, but again I don't think I've covered everything for when to end advantage play.

If I am calling advantage as a head referee, I'm looking for a few things to be happening to continue play. The quaffle carrier should be active and not restricted in their movement excessively by an opponent - they should be going for hoops or looking for a (viable) pass to a fellow quaffle player. Other quaffle players from the fouled team should be attacking too, and in positions where stopping play would actively disadvantage them. Bludger play is somewhat less relevant, unless another foul in the beater game is committed. It should be clear that the fouled team has a chance at scoring, which is the soul point of advantage as a rule. If there is a lull, if the quaffle gets wrapped up, if all the players are beat out; I will call for a brooms down and I will penalise the fouling player and reset the quaffle.

Like no harm, no foul (more on that soon), advantage is there to make the game flow better by stopping fouls from breaking up attacks by causing brooms down. That is the foremost thing to hold in your mind when using it - if your game isn't flowing, it's time to stop advantage and give the fouled team another shot.