Assists for Own Goals

[Dutch Uncle]

It has bugged me for a while that players don't seem to get assists for own goals

Surely Ben deserved an assist yesterday - that cross clearly led to the goal. Also for exmaple Taylor and Sheaf had dangerous shots deflected in at Southend last season and neither got even an assist. I know the shots were adjudged to have been missing but were dangerous enough to cause a defender to intervene.

Also when a player shoots and it comes down from the bar and goes in off a diving goalie, surely at least an assist is deserved?

Of course some own goals e.g. misplaced backpasses, clearly have no assist from the attacking team, but IMHO if assists are going to exist and be counted as positive data for a player, and they can be judged in general, then surely they can be judged when appropriate for own goals.

Any opinions?

[IDM]

In theory I agree, however in general I’m not a fan of recording “assists” in the first place.

[idler]

Fully agree Dutch.

[RoversAlias]

I'd go so far as to start recording "second assists" in some cases as often the pass before the assist can be what creates a goal.

Whiteman absolutely deserves an assist for yesterday's second goal. He created it with a dangerous cross.

[jamesrover17]

I'd go so far as to start recording "second assists" in some cases as often the pass before the assist can be what creates a goal.

Whiteman absolutely deserves an assist for yesterday's second goal. He created it with a dangerous cross.

Exactly what happens in Ice Hockey... They even announce them over the tannoy

[Bristol Red Rover]

Isn't the point of an assist being noted about a player giving another player a goalscoring opportunity that is noted when it is converted? The own goal wasn't that, it didn't reach our player. Arguably a poor pass, or at best a pass and hope.

[NickDRFC]

Isn't the point of an assist being noted about a player giving another player a goalscoring opportunity that is noted when it is converted? The own goal wasn't that, it didn't reach our player. Arguably a poor pass, or at best a pass and hope.

Have you seen the goal? It was fizzed across the box and the only reason it didn’t reach Lokilo was because their defender stuck a hopeful boot out to intercept, with the pace and direction of the ball meaning it could only divert into the net.

[NickDRFC]

I'd go so far as to start recording "second assists" in some cases as often the pass before the assist can be what creates a goal.

Whiteman absolutely deserves an assist for yesterday's second goal. He created it with a dangerous cross.

Not for me, football is becoming far too statistics heavy as it is. Someone like Silva, Iniesta or Fabregas quite often “assisted the assister” - you don’t need to see a footnote after the season that they’ve got 17 “second assists” to know the level of influence that they’ve had in a season.

[Bristol Red Rover]

Isn't the point of an assist being noted about a player giving another player a goalscoring opportunity that is noted when it is converted? The own goal wasn't that, it didn't reach our player. Arguably a poor pass, or at best a pass and hope.

Have you seen the goal? It was fizzed across the box and the only reason it didn’t reach Lokilo was because their defender stuck a hopeful boot out to intercept, with the pace and direction of the ball meaning it could only divert into the net.

I think it was a great ball in, but if it doesn't reach our player, it is a hit and hope or a bad pass, not meeting the ascribed quality definition for an assist. A better defender would have kept that out.

The point being there has to be a definition and in most cases an own goal is more accidental than Barker's was, so I'm wth how it is. Likewise a deflected assist shouldn't be counted, or one coming off the woodwork.

[Dutch Uncle]

Certainly respect your view BRR, and maybe that is a consistent non-subjective way to go.

I also agree with IBM about the wisdom or necessity of counting assists anyway, but given we seem to be stuck with them I felt a bit for Ben yesterday.

Then again making Ben's stats better might not be a good idea at the moment .... rubbish player, nothing to see here.......

[Bristol Red Rover]

Ben got one assist. And then should there be "own assists" awarded? eg Darren Pratley with Gomes's goal. I think it's as notable as an assist - negative to the positive.

[MachoMadness]

I'm surprised agents haven't been agitating for own goal assists to be part of contracts. They already have pre-assist bonuses, set piece bonuses (the theory being, if the team scores from a corner, every player taking part in the routine contributed to it, even if they're a false runner) and so on.