In the past few weeks I have encounted some widely differing views on exactly what contitutes an assist in reporting the scores of a match during a High School competition. Many coaches and scorers seem to expect that every goal will include an assist, even when the player who previously touched or played the ball to the player who scored was not directly involved in the goal. For example, last night, #6 white recieved the ball from a deflection off an opponent at the corner of the PA, dribbled across the PA, faked a defender, turned and then and backed a shot past the keeper. He had six or seven touches on the ball. I reported the goal as "#6, unassisted at 15 minutes". The coach called over from his bench that the assist was from #16. Ten minutes later, #14 recieved the ball from a goal kick, beat the defenders and scored 1 on 1 with the red keeper. I reported "#14, unassisted at 25 minutes", but again the coach called over that the assist was by #22. After this second instance, the coach and I had some discussion, which continued after the match. His position was that irrespective of how many touches intervened that the previous player who passed the ball to the scorer always recieved an assist. I argued that unless the pass or service directly contributed to the goal it was not an assist. My question, does anyone know if there is a standard for soccer? Sherman
In Iowa, I record the time and the goal scorer (if known) for my own information. The high school coaches are responsible for goal scoring and assist recording, and relaying that information to the league, papers, and whoever else needs to know.
The only standard you need to follow for the rest of the season is... On any goal by a member of the Silver Lake Boys soccer team, the assist always goes to #6...and it has nothing to do with the fact that he shares my last name! Scott
whipple, I'm not sure what's considered 'standard' for soccer, because I don't believe there are any 'standardized' rules regarding assists. But, your definition is most closely aligned with the definition in basketball (assist leads directly to basket) while the other definition fits best with ice hockey and some other sports (last two teammates to touch puck in succession are credited with assists). I'm not sure either is more correct--some would argue that 'assist' is a foolish statistic for soccer, anyway. However, in MLS and some other leagues that do take account of assists, the more liberal, ice-hockey like definition is applied.
In the statistic mad world that is American sports, there is always the desire to award something to as many of the individuals as possible. However, whipple, I have to say I agree with you in your scenarios but don't have a problem with the coach wanting to award assists in those situations. The problem comes when the teams get together at the end of the season for all conference, all area and all state type things. The statistics help the coach sell his player. So when you get coaches that do it "right", their players don't have the statistics to stack up against players under coaches like the one you are up against. I'll give you a perfect example... This past weekend, my son's HS team won its Sectional. It involved 3 games that we won 3-0, 3-2 and 2-1. He had 1 goal and 5 assists (his coach is like you -- if the pass didn't create the opportunity, no assist is awarded). On the other two goals, here's how they happened... As a striker back to goal, he took a ball down under pressure 25 yards out toward the center, turned to his right and drew off toward the corner where he played a cross in front of the goal about 8 yards out. The defense got a head to it and flicked it on through the area where an attacker collected it and dribbled from the far left corner of the PA across toward the arc outside the PA and ripped a shot that deflected into the goal -- the game winning goal in the championship game. Now my son didn't get an assist on that goal, it was recorded as unassisted. But my son, by drawing the defense totally out of shape with his run and cross definitely created the opportunity. The only other goal in the tournament for which he was not awarded an assist was a PK. He played a perfectly slotted ball into the penalty area for one of our midfielders to run onto. It caught the defense so off balance, that the defender trying to recover had nothing available but to hack down our attacker before the shot could be taken. The PK was converted and no assists are awarded for PK's but again, he definitely created that opportunity as well. What does it all matter? Well, his striker partner who received 3 assists from my son plus scored the game winner described in the first scenario was voted tournament MVP. Two of the 3 actual assists were virtual sitters that he just had to tap in because of the work done by my son. The third was a very good finish but the really outstanding work was done getting it there. He did all this being double teamed everywhere -- which is why the other guys got those opportunities. If my son has 1 goal and 7 assists on 8 total goals in the tournament, do you think the stat mad americans are going to vote him tournamant MVP instead of the guy who scored 4 (with no assists)? Might be. So the point of this long post (sorry, guys) is let the coach give the assists if he wants to.
So do you get an assist for an own-goal? Player A makes a dangerous cross. Defender B tries to clear over the goal but slams it into the net. Player A gets assist or no? I'm also recalling this odd situation where Taylor Twellman got credit for an own goal he "caused". TT was scrambling around in front of the goal, about to kick the ball in for sure goal. Defender, trying to defend, knocks it into goal just before TT can. Goal credited to TT.
The NCAA publishes a statisticians manual. In previous years it has said specifically that no assist should be awarded if the goal-scorer has many touches and must elude defenders. The 2003 manual is shorter than previous editions, and has no such language. It says only, "An assist is awarded for a pass leading directly to a goal." The operative word is "directly" but that is, of course, ITOTS. Many scorers are quite liberal, especially in awarding assists to the home team, and also in awarding the infamous double assist to the home team. There's no assist on an own-goal. Scorers often get very creative in how they record own goals - anything to avoid actually recording it correctly. My favorite was the awarding of a goal to the closest attacking player, who actually wasn't very close at all - they didn't get within ten yards of the ball. (it was a very bad play by the defender, as you might imagine)
I actaully am the official scorer for home games at my college and we often get complaints from the coaches about handing out asssits. ... Including off of a direct free kick player #8 played the ball on to the frame and forced the opposing goalie to make a save - ball came off the gaolie and went to #17 for an easy nod into the net for a goal. Coach hounded me for a week saying it should have been an assist, but I cant give out an assits after the gaolie makes a save on a shot. I love my job
We did that a long time ago when we devised the highly complex, structured and strategic version of football known in some circles as "gridiron". Don't forget 'catches and punches'. Or maybe that would be better left in the "Statistics and Analysis" forum. The statistic that matters is the final score.
Hey, c'mon, don't knock us math nerds who hang out in S&A. If soccer wants to catch on in America we need some stats so that people can have fantasy soccer teams.
Assists I see no need for the referee to concern himself about assists. Nothing in the LOTG requires. We keep score - that's how many goals for each team based on Law 10 and that's all. AJ Ps. assists, saves, shots etc are strictly up to the teams to keeep as desired.
Indirect Kick So if an assist is a pass that directly leads to a goal, then what about the situation where one player "passes" to another player via tapping a ball on an indirect free kick? On a different note, kevbrunton's example is excellent -- very often the dominant player will have fewer goals/assists than another player, especially if double teamed. But I sure wouldn't call this preoccupation with goal-scoring stats an American abomination. European fans are similarly enthralled with goal-scoring exploits, with the vast majority of MVP awards being given to one of the league's leading goal scorers, and very often the leading scorer.
The reason why secondary assists should not be considered in hockey or soccer is the fact that they don't allow for the goal scorer to get the second assist. The US is a stats-mad country, and both the NHL and MLS scoring titles include assists. The give-and-go is devalued because of the unwillingness to award the secondary assist to the goalscorer - yet if it had been a third player the assist would've been given.
Re: Assists While this is the case in USSF, in NFHS and NCAA, the officials certify the scoresheet, which in many instances includes the assists along with goal scorer, players cautioned, ejected, etc. In essence, whatever is written on the sheet is what we are putting our name to and saying is true. Sherman
Re: Re: Assists We don't do NFHS scoresheets around here. There are no consequences of accumulated yellows and reds are reported separately via an ejection report directly to the state. In NCAA games, I check the final score and the cards and sign it. I really don't care who they put down for goals and assists -- and I have yet to even look at those columns. All I do is make sure that they have the yellow cards correctly recorded (because the accumulated yellows matter in NCAA).