Assist (football) facts for kids

In association football, an assist is a pass or a cross by a player which helps to score a goal. Most commonly, an assist is given to a player for passing or crossing the ball to the scorer. It may also be awarded to a player whose shot rebounds (off a defender, goalkeeper or goalpost) to a teammate who scores. Some systems may give an assist to a player who wins a penalty kick or a free kick for another player to score. An attacking player for contributing to an own goal can also get an assist. A goal may be unassisted, or have one assist. In some systems, even two assists is possible.