In the sport of football (soccer), an assist is a statistic, recorded in certain instances of a goal being scored, that is attributed to the player who provided the opportunity for a teammate to score. Recording assists is not part of the official rules of the game, and because of this, the criteria for an assist to be awarded may vary. The most common action in which an assist is credited to a player is when his or her pass leads to the goal. It may also be awarded to a player whose shot rebounds (off a defender, goalkeeper or post) to a teammate who scores. An assist may also be awarded to a player who wins a penalty kick for another player to convert,. If a player gains possession from the opposition and goes on to score without the aid of a teammate, no assist is given. Likewise, if a player earns a penalty which he takes himself, he is not credited with an assist.
Rationale
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An assist is intended to reward the act of goal creation. A pass that leads to an unopposed goal. A shot that causes a rebound that is scored. A run that draws a foul in the penalty box and results in a penalty kick. A cross or corner kick or free kick that leads to a volleyed or headed goal. These are all common examples of assists. If the player who is a recipient of a pass, cross or rebound (previous action) in turn has to beat an opponent before scoring then the previous player has not created a goal and the goal is unassisted.
Statistical recording of assists
Record of assists was virtually not kept at all until the end of the 20th century. FIFA, for example, started officially keeping track of assists in World Cup tournaments in the 2002 edition. Some specialized sources, however, like Planet World Cup[1], have researched on the matter and offer individual statistics on assists back to the 1966 World Cup (as of August 2007). It is official practice for certain leagues to keep record of assists. The United States' Major League Soccer, for instance, awards a single point to the player credited with an assist (as opposed to two points to a goal scorer). The all-time leader in assists in Major League Soccer is midfielder Steve Ralston, who as of August 2007 had made 116 assists according to the MLS official web site.[1]
