Question on Assists?

[Enugu II]

Guys,

What is your take on assigning assists on these two possibilities in a game?

(1) A shot from an attacker is not heading towards goal but a defender deflects it into goal for an OWNGOAL e.g. Samuel Kalu's cross today.

(2) A player has opportunity to score but is fouled for a pk. Another player scores. Should the fouled player get an assist?

What do you think about the cases above?

[Gotti]

"Assists" is essentially an American invention...
And reflects the current over-statisticalization of the game by otherwise jobless statisticians.

It often tells little of what actually happened (and sometimes even distorts events). Prime example: Taribo West under pressure aimlessly punts a ball in desperation upfield and the relentless Aghahowa chases said hopeless ball down and somehow chips the onrushing GK, and Taribo gets an "assist"! SMH. The sooner the rid of, the better!! But sadly that Frankenstein will never be put back into the box, not least because it gives agents yet another tool to squeeze more dollars out of clubs and transfers.

[Enugu II]

"Assists" is essentially an American invention...
And reflects the current over-statisticalization of the game by otherwise jobless statisticians.

It often tells little to what actually happened (and sometimes even distorts events). Prime example: Taribo West under pressure aimlessly punts a ball in desperation upfield and the relentless Aghahowa chases said hopeless ball down and somehow chips the onrushing GK, and Taribo gets an "assist"! SMH. The sooner the rid of, the better!! But sadly that Frankenstein will never be put back into the box, not least because it gives agents yet another tool to squeeze more dollars out of clubs and transfers.

Gotti,

But you did not answer the question. My question is whether an assist should be counted on any of those two scenarios.

[mcal]

...assist is relevant now because of good midfielders. Many of them don't score but distribute ball forward. Agree, it's a yank invention.

[Eaglezbeak]

Guys,

What is your take on assigning assists on these two possibilities in a game?

(1) A shot from an attacker is not heading towards goal but a defender deflects it into goal for an OWNGOAL e.g. Samuel Kalu's cross today.

(2) A player has opportunity to score but is fouled for a pk. Another player scores. Should the fouled player get an assist?

What do you think about the cases above?

An assist should be a clear pass to the player that scores anything else shouldn’t count!

[metalalloy]

Guys,

What is your take on assigning assists on these two possibilities in a game?

(1) A shot from an attacker is not heading towards goal but a defender deflects it into goal for an OWNGOAL e.g. Samuel Kalu's cross today.

(2) A player has opportunity to score but is fouled for a pk. Another player scores. Should the fouled player get an assist?

What do you think about the cases above?

No assist for me on either. The first one, a player should not be rewarded for a mistake. Are you trying to award an assist to the defender? In the second one, one the foul was committed and the pk awarded, that sequence of play is over. The Pk is an entire new sequence that does not involve the fouled player unless the kicker misses, the fouled player manages to get the rebound and pass it to the kicker to score.

[Sir V]

Guys,

What is your take on assigning assists on these two possibilities in a game?

(1) A shot from an attacker is not heading towards goal but a defender deflects it into goal for an OWNGOAL e.g. Samuel Kalu's cross today.

(2) A player has opportunity to score but is fouled for a pk. Another player scores. Should the fouled player get an assist?

What do you think about the cases above?

No assist on both ceases. An assist is the last pass that creates or leads to a goal scored. For example, if Ndidi plays it through to Ighalo, even if Ighalo has to beat one or two defenders, if the pass created a space or a clear chance for Ighalo to score, that would be an assist.

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

EII, how about a #10 that goes to 3WCs and registers zero goals and zero assists? should dribbles count as assists?

[Enugu II]

EII, how about a #10 that goes to 3WCs and registers zero goals and zero assists? should dribbles count as assists?

Ogbunigwe,

You don come ooo. Abegi, carry go before some guys pounce on you ooo! My hand no de.

[metalalloy]

EII, how about a #10 that goes to 3WCs and registers zero goals and zero assists? should dribbles count as assists?

[Enugu II]

Sir V,

I hope what you posted is your own opinion because assists actually are given by FIFA's technical study group on the penalty case mentioned. In fact, same for a player who is fouled for a set piece that is then directly scored. Also an assist is awarded to a player whose initial shot rebounds for another player to score a goal. In essence, there are no currently agreed identification of assists that is universal. The only clear one is the one from a direct pass that you mentioned. IMHO, the first goal today should be credited as an assist for Kalu given the fact that a goal would have been unlikely if he had not struck the ball powerfully. However, that is just my logical thought process even though it isn't a universally agreed assist.

Guys,

What is your take on assigning assists on these two possibilities in a game?

(1) A shot from an attacker is not heading towards goal but a defender deflects it into goal for an OWNGOAL e.g. Samuel Kalu's cross today.

(2) A player has opportunity to score but is fouled for a pk. Another player scores. Should the fouled player get an assist?

What do you think about the cases above?

No assist on both ceases. An assist is the last pass that creates or leads to a goal scored. For example, if Ndidi plays it through to Ighalo, even if Ighalo has to beat one or two defenders, if the pass created a space or a clear chance for Ighalo to score, that would be an assist.

[Odas]

Guys,

What is your take on assigning assists on these two possibilities in a game?

(1) A shot from an attacker is not heading towards goal but a defender deflects it into goal for an OWNGOAL e.g. Samuel Kalu's cross today.

(2) A player has opportunity to score but is fouled for a pk. Another player scores. Should the fouled player get an assist?

What do you think about the cases above?

An assist should be a clear pass to the player that scores anything else shouldn’t count!

... such is my understanding and believe of "an assist."
Any oda tin, na una sabi.

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

EII, how about a #10 that goes to 3WCs and registers zero goals and zero assists? should dribbles count as assists?

My Oga, how now?

[The YeyeMan]

"Assists" is essentially an American invention...
And reflects the current over-statisticalization of the game by otherwise jobless statisticians.

It often tells little of what actually happened (and sometimes even distorts events). Prime example: Taribo West under pressure aimlessly punts a ball in desperation upfield and the relentless Aghahowa chases said hopeless ball down and somehow chips the onrushing GK, and Taribo gets an "assist"! SMH. The sooner the rid of, the better!! But sadly that Frankenstein will never be put back into the box, not least because it gives agents yet another tool to squeeze more dollars out of clubs and transfers.

Have to disagree, Gotti, at least with the assertion that it reflects a trend in the game for unemployed statisticians. The game is largely becoming data driven off the field and assists are but one metric in a mega raft of available performance data.

EII, Opta who collect event data for the EPL would not attribute an assist to either player in those scenarios. But I think FIFA would assign an assist in those scenarios.

[Enugu II]

"Assists" is essentially an American invention...
And reflects the current over-statisticalization of the game by otherwise jobless statisticians.

It often tells little of what actually happened (and sometimes even distorts events). Prime example: Taribo West under pressure aimlessly punts a ball in desperation upfield and the relentless Aghahowa chases said hopeless ball down and somehow chips the onrushing GK, and Taribo gets an "assist"! SMH. The sooner the rid of, the better!! But sadly that Frankenstein will never be put back into the box, not least because it gives agents yet another tool to squeeze more dollars out of clubs and transfers.

Have to disagree, Gotti, at least with the assertion that it reflects a trend in the game for unemployed statisticians. The game is largely becoming data driven off the field and assists are but one metric in a mega raft of available performance data.

EII, Opta who collect event data for the EPL would not attribute an assist to either player in those scenarios. But I think FIFA would assign an assist in those scenarios.

I just hope that a universally agreed definition can be agreed upon.

[Obong]

Gotti struck a chord. I tend to wonder at the sheer illogicality of the assist in football. The nature of the game actually renders it almost inappropriate to credit the final passer of the ball as an example. Witness the recent Manchester City game against Man United where the team made 44 passes before scoring. Who gets the "assist"? Much can happen in the build-up to a goal so that merely crediting the last passer might be an injustice to a more important pass earlier in the sequence of events.


http://www.espn.com/soccer/blog/the-toe ... re?src=com

[Enugu II]

Gotti struck a chord. I tend to wonder at the sheer illogicality of the assist in football. The nature of the game actually renders it almost inappropriate to credit the final passer of the ball as an example. Witness the recent Manchester City game against Man United where the team made 44 passes before scoring. Who gets the "assist"? Much can happen in the build-up to a goal so that merely crediting the last passer might be an injustice to a more important pass earlier in the sequence of events.


http://www.espn.com/soccer/blog/the-toe ... re?src=com

Obong

That is true but that oddity exists in other areas. How about a guy who merely taps in an expected goal after others had done the much harder work? How about the guy credited with a pk goal after someone else had done much work and is upended? There are numerous examples. In my opinion, stats overtime demonstrate an important pattern that is meaningful and cannot be undermined by a singular oddity in a pattern of accomplishments. In essence the odd assist should not lead to ignoring the importance of other assists in a pattern just as an odd tap in should not deny a goal scorer's ability demonstrated in a pattern.