Question:
In a tournament this weekend I was told by the assessor that as AR I should be running all the way to the corner flag before signalling the goal kick. Stopping at the six and pointing toward the goal area was not enough. He called it just being lazy. On shots taken outside the eighteen, from midfield, even if 2LD was at midfield, he still wanted us to run to the corner flag before signalling. I understood this to be proper proceedure for a corner kick but had never heard of it for goal kicks.
The games I centered were confusing. The AR delaying signal until he got to the corner flag made me question whether he was calling goal kick or corner kick. Is this a new proceedure or just more creative refereeing?
All I could find in Guide to Procedures was to point toward goal area and nothing about running to corner flag. I want to use the correct procedure. Please advise.
USSF answer (December 2, 2008):
Lazy is as lazy does. The assessor’s advice is well intentioned but not entirely accurate or necessary. Of course the assistant referee should run all questionable balls the entire distance to the goal line. “Questionable balls” are those that are contested by players from both teams and could result in either a goal kick or a corner kick. However, when there is no question as to what the restart will be, and for whom, there is no need to continue all the way to the goal line. The top of the goal area is fine in most cases.
