A&H

Linesman......without flag

Ciley Myrus

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I am sure I just saw this.... Beveren v Gent in the Belguim league...less than a min in..far side lino goes to signal corner...but...erm. he has no flag !!!
Cue game held up and forth and AR meet in middle of park to weapon him up !!


I am a long standing believer that the flags will indeed be redundant very soon but this guy is also ahead of his time....
 
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Why do you think they’ll be redundant? Do you mean assistants or the actual flag?
 
Had the ball hit my flag hard from close range and made it fly back 10 yards. Ref wasn't sure which way and was looking at me. So I hand signalled the same way as a ref. He gave me a thumbs up, a smile and time to pick my flag up.

For the OP, if it was shortly after kick off, the general practice is for all officials to check for at least three things being taken as they walk into the field, one ball and two flags. Forgivable if one forgets it, the other two should have noticed it.
 
Why do you think they’ll be redundant? Do you mean assistants or the actual flag?


For starters the flag, at top levels, the AR will use comms and the flag stick, akin to the AAR behind the goal. Look already in recent times how the flagging requirement/responsibility of the AR has diminished, I can see (soon) AR simply pressing (if needed) and talking
 
For starters the flag, at top levels, the AR will use comms and the flag stick, akin to the AAR behind the goal. Look already in recent times how the flagging requirement/responsibility of the AR has diminished, I can see (soon) AR simply pressing (if needed) and talking

I see your point but isn't the flag also a tool to communicate to the crowd the decision too?
 
I see your point but isn't the flag also a tool to communicate to the crowd the decision too?


No. The flag exists to alert the referee. Only.

By your post, why use a flag in a closed door game?

In times to come, AR will simply speak, offsides etc be checked in progress by var anyway and we have already seen the WC ARs not flagging close ones, as var will check them anyway
 
No. The flag exists to alert the referee. Only.

By your post, why use a flag in a closed door game?

In times to come, AR will simply speak, offsides etc be checked in progress by var anyway and we have already seen the WC ARs not flagging close ones, as var will check them anyway

I'm not debating the flag primary purpose as I'm aware that there is no crowd (or a very small one) at 99% of football matches. It is a very useful aid for fans ins stadiums though. Not knowing who's throw it is during the game until a player picks it up would be odd when satin a stadium.
 
I'm not debating the flag primary purpose as I'm aware that there is no crowd (or a very small one) at 99% of football matches. It is a very useful aid for fans ins stadiums though. Not knowing who's throw it is during the game until a player picks it up would be odd when satin a stadium.


I hear you but no. Nobody knows even when flag up who is getting the throw, as , the ref will ultimately decide anyway
Its merely a signal from Ar to ref that the ball is out of play, and is his opinion it should go, that way
same as offside, flag goes up, it does not mean someone is offside, it means, ref, I have deemed someone is in an offside position and I think they should be penalised, the ref then (mostly) goes, yip ok.
The players would know whose throw it is, maybe the AR will use arm when, the ball is out, and they have checked with ref which way it is to go

I be long gone by that day anyways! Unless my ghost fancies a shot in the middle
 
No. The flag exists to alert the referee. Only.
I'm not so sure about that. Within the narrow confines of the the Laws perhaps that's true but in the overall context of the game I think it also serves to communicate decisions to a wider audience. For instance, I would say a secondary function is to more efficiently let the players know what's going on. There's no established referee signal for a number of different restarts in the game, there's only an assistant referee signal so although a referee can obviously communicate decisions verbally when there are no assistants, if you have AR's, I reckon the flag is a quicker and easier way to make it clear what certain decisions are. Yes, it's ultimately the referee's decision but the number of times a referee will overrule an AR for things like throw-ins and offside (or goal kicks and corner kicks when the AR often has a better view) is fairly small.

And whether we think it's important or not - and I for one don't think it's a bad thing, it does also help to let the spectators know what's going on (at least to the extent that they understand the flag signals, whatever that extent might be).
 
I'm not so sure about that. Within the narrow confines of the the Laws perhaps that's true but in the overall context of the game I think it also serves to communicate decisions to a wider audience.

Agree. ARs mirror the Rs signal on TIs/GK/CK when ref makes the initial signal—a mirror is obviously not for the referee.
 
I'm not so sure about that. Within the narrow confines of the the Laws perhaps that's true but in the overall context of the game I think it also serves to communicate decisions to a wider audience. For instance, I would say a secondary function is to more efficiently let the players know what's going on. There's no established referee signal for a number of different restarts in the game, there's only an assistant referee signal so although a referee can obviously communicate decisions verbally when there are no assistants, if you have AR's, I reckon the flag is a quicker and easier way to make it clear what certain decisions are. Yes, it's ultimately the referee's decision but the number of times a referee will overrule an AR for things like throw-ins and offside (or goal kicks and corner kicks when the AR often has a better view) is fairly small.

And whether we think it's important or not - and I for one don't think it's a bad thing, it does also help to let the spectators know what's going on (at least to the extent that they understand the flag signals, whatever that extent might be).



What signals does as AR make that a ref cant?
 
Whatever being that took over @Ciley Myrus a few months ago is now talking nonsense.

I'll tell the ref on my local club's match next weekend that he'll have to lend beeper flags and comm sets to the two CARs - I'm sure that will go down well.

And a visual signal that an AR can make with their flag that the referee can't is one of substitution, and importantly when the substitution is complete (by lowering the flag).
 
I meant, and I think stated, top level, where they already use comms.......

And for a sub....AR with comms simply says "sub ref" when ball is dead, or, as will be the case, the 4th can.
And am sure each and every one of us has done that rolly spinny hand thing as referee, or at least seen it, that is used a grass roots for a sub.
When the sub is complete? The flag, without 4th man, is lowered before the sub procedure is complete, esp when AR is taking note of who is on/off.
Game should not restart until AR is back in position anyways.
There is nothing in the sub procedure that cannot be done without use of a flag.

cant recall the last time as referee I needed a raised flag to tell me there was about to be a sub. First, if you are aware, you can see things at the bench/player getting stripped/getting instructions etc.
Second, we have voices.."XXXXXX sub" shout from my NAR (with or without comms)
I serious cant recall a time I needed a raised flag to know a sub was happening, again picture scene, the ball out on the other side, the standside raises flag, but the thing that draws your attention to it (if you are not expecting it) (and you are looking at other AR) is, REF SUB ! a loud shout, coach, other players, your AR.....

The AR will eventually act the same as the trialed AAR.

Unfair to call it nonsense, as, neither you, me or anyone, knows what 5/10 years holds.
 
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I think you've gone completely down the wrong path on this one!

In fact, it's the referees who are signalling less and less - was it on here where there was a recent discussion how there's less expectation on referees to bother signalling for a TI, especially at a higher level?

So if we follow Ciley's line of thinking, nobody is going to signal for a throw-in!

What a weird, weird post. AR is never going to not have a flag and there's absolutely no reason why that should happen.
 
I think you've gone completely down the wrong path on this one!

In fact, it's the referees who are signalling less and less - was it on here where there was a recent discussion how there's less expectation on referees to bother signalling for a TI, especially at a higher level?

So if we follow Ciley's line of thinking, nobody is going to signal for a throw-in!

What a weird, weird post. AR is never going to not have a flag and there's absolutely no reason why that should happen.


Why signal (at top level with comms and a flag stick). Already AR is told not to flag obvious goal kicks, and not to flag tight offsides...2 year? ago, changes already.......
Nobody can say AR will always have a flag. Guess we can only wait and see.
 
I think you've gone completely down the wrong path on this one!

In fact, it's the referees who are signalling less and less - was it on here where there was a recent discussion how there's less expectation on referees to bother signalling for a TI, especially at a higher level?

So if we follow Ciley's line of thinking, nobody is going to signal for a throw-in!

What a weird, weird post. AR is never going to not have a flag and there's absolutely no reason why that should happen.

5 years before officials behind the goal it would've been unfathomable to imagine there being them introduced. An official employed to hold up a board with a number on it and listen to coaches whinge for 90 mine would've been seen as ridiculous at one point. Change is the only constant.
 
”The ball has just gone out and I’m about to signal the direction of throw/GK/CK”... that one;)


You can still talk. "balls out, red throw". "balls out, corner".
Ref then does what they do today, and 99% go with it, or, decide no, its blue.
And thus we eliminate AR flagging one way and ref going other !"!
 
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