QUICK TIP
Don't fetch the ball for players.
Your primary job as an assistant referee, when the ball is out of play, is paying attention to the players. Even a momentary redirection of your focus to a ball off the field--no matter how helpful you are trying to be--takes away from your responsibility to assist the referee (not the players). The referee is counting on your help.
Also, by retrieving or stopping the ball, you are making a quick restart easier for a team. So, if you don't do that every time the ball leaves the field, you could be accused of favoring one team over the other. Don't give players, coaches or spectators a reason to make additional comments.
Save your energy for staying with the second to last defender or the ball whichever is closer to the goal line and running the ball all the way to the goal line and making those critical goal/no goal decisions!
Let me know if you have any questions!
See you all on the pitch!
Tom Litchfield, Referees
referees@vcys.org
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