A Helping Hand: Assists in MLS

Great analysis. Does anyone remember any specific message sent down from the head office that would account for change in what is considered an assist? I specifically don't.

 

Good work. I'd like to make the following observations (also posted as a comment there):

The drop in primary assists probably was the result of certain things no longer being considered assists. Most notably, until 2002, a shot that was deflected to the scorer (by a defender, a goalkeeper, or the woodwork) was considered to be a pass, and constituted an assist. This is no longer the case. It also seems that a player spending an extended time on the ball (either before scoring or assisting a goal) causes the previous pass to be ignored in awarding assists, though I'm not sure how that's defined.

 

That strikes me as a poor decision.

Many of the very best attacking plays are when a player unbalances a defense, such that a teammate can help himself to a tap in on an unguarded goal. To call such a goal "unassisted" is silly, as is the decision to give the goalscorer a full 2 points and the player who set up the play (usually the harder of the two tasks) no credit whatsoever.

That's a reasonable change.

 

Scaryice,

Nice stats. Allow me to apply Occam's razor on one part of the analysis, though--I think it's safe to go ahead and believe your eyes and conclude that the decline in unassisted and 1-assist goals in the first four years of the league was pretty much real, not an effect of a change in interpretation, and a natural product of the league's maturation process.

What's an unassisted goal? Often, it's an unforced defensive error, and I certainly remember a whole lot of the league's goals in those being those.

The one-assisters strike me as something I very much remember as well:
a) teams cannot string multiple passes together, so ball ping-pongs in midfield
b) ball lands at feet of Valderrama/Etcheverry/Cienfuegos/etc.
c) He then fires a quick outlet to the streaking Lassiter/Cobi/etc
d) He outruns the defense and slots past a helpless keeper.

Why you don't see so many secondary assists, even in a high scoring league, is that offenses were basically unsophisticated, they went through one guy more than today, often to one finisher more than today.

I'd been arguing just this kinda point (for instance in the DCU '98 vs DCU 2006 discussion), for a while, and for me, these stats not only help validate it, but even take a step toward quantifying it.

And helping us figure out when it ended, as this happened a little less with each passing year until about 1999 or 2000, depending on which stat you want to look at. And that's why 27 goals in a season is kinda hard to see after that point, but 26 assists is mindbendingly hard to see.

This in contrast, btw, to the clear difference between 2002 and 2003. The numbers don't suggest an evolution, but a clean break.

(I kinda agree with your take on the second assist, though. Even as I just implied it might measure something valid, it's clearly not measuring the same thing as the primary is. I figure the reason it's kept around is to make top scorers' stat lines look better.)

 

Goalscorers don't get 2 points anymore. They got rid of that a couple of years ago.

This from the 1998 MLS Statistical Manual:

11. ASSISTS

A) The player(s) whose pass(es) leads directly to a goal, without a break in possession, is(are) credited with an “assist(s).”

B) If the play immediately preceding a goal consists of two or more passes by the scoring team (without the defending team interrupting the flow of passes by gaining control of the ball), the players making the final two passes before the goal shall each be awarded an assist.

Note: During the 1997 MLS season, Official Scorers will award assists to player who made the last pass before the goal, and if appropriate, the next-to-last pass that led to the goal, as long as there was consecutive possession, i.e. possession of the ball was not interrupted by a defender. However, if the opposing goalkeeper does handle, block or deflect the ball during the sequence leading up to the goal, it will not count as interrupted possession.

Example 1 - Attacker “A”, just beyond the halfway line, makes a routine square pass to attacker “B”, who dribbles into the corner under pressure and crosses the ball. Attacker “C” heads the ball into the goal. Score the play as a goal for “C” and an assist for “B” and “A” because possession was never lost on the attack.

Example 2 - Attacker “A” takes a corner kick and sends the ball to attacker “B” who back-heads the ball across the goalmouth for attacker “C”. Attacker “C” kicks the ball into the goal. Score the play as a goal for “C” and credit assists to “B” and “A”.

Example 3 - An attacking team is awarded an indirect free kick beyond the defending team’s penalty area. Attacker “A” touches the ball two yards to attacker “B” who lofts the ball to attacker “C”. Attacker “C” heads the ball into the goal. Score the play as a goal for “C” and an assist for “B” and “A” even though “A” only made a two-yard pass because, once again, there was consecutive possession.

Example 4 - Attacker “A” makes a long pass across the field for attacker “B”, who chips a short cross to attacker “C”, who scores. Score the play as a goal for “C” and assists for “B” and “A”.

NOTE: There is not a distinction between passes that did exhibit a high degree of skill, vision and/or accuracy and passes that did not: CONSECUTIVE POSSESSION is now the rule.

C) If the play immediately preceding a goal consists of an interruption by the defending team and then one pass before the goal, only one assist is awarded on the play. However, of the interruption was by the opposing goalkeeper, one or two assists can be awarded.

Example 1 - Attacker “A” attempts to pass to attacker “C”, but the ball is intercepted by a defender. Attacker “B” tackles the ball away from the defender and passes to attacker “C”, who scores. Score the play as a goal for “C” and an assist for “B”.

Example 2 - Attacker “A” passes the ball down the wing to attacker “B” who crosses into the middle where the opposing goalkeeper attempts to catch the cross, but only gets a piece of the ball. Attacker “C” then scores. Score the play as a goal for “C” and assists for “B” and “A” because possession was never broken by a member of the defensive team.

Example 3 - Attacker “A” shoots and the ball is blocked but not controlled by the opposing goalkeeper. Attacker “B” gains possession of the loose ball and passes to attacker “C” who scores. Score the play as a goal for “C” and assists for “A” and “B”. NOTE: Attacker “A” should also receive credit for a shot, with the result being a save.

Example 4 - Attacker “A” hits a 50-yard pass from his defensive third to attacker “B” who collects the ball at midfield and dribbles into the corner of the field. Attacker “B” then crosses to attacker “C” who scores. Score the play as a goal for “C” and give assists to “B” and “A” because possession was never broken even through perhaps 30 to 60 seconds elapsed between the first pass by “A” and the goal by “C”.

Example 5 - Attacker “A” passes to attacker “B” in the penalty box. Attacker “B” hits a shot that hits the goal post and rebounds across the goal mouth for attacker “C” to tap into the goal. Score the play a goal for “C” and assists for “B” and “A” because possession was never broken.

 

One does.

 

Keep in mind, that's a very old thing. I'm not sure that's the way they do it anymore. That manual was from 1998. I haven't seen one since.