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Goalkick

For balls that wholly cross the goal line in your half of the field, come to a complete stop, square to the field and using the hand closest to the goal line, point horizontally toward the goal area.  Drop the flag when the restart and direction are clearly established.  Make eye contact with the referee while signaling and if the referee overrules you, drop the flag immediately.  While the ball is retrieved and readied for play, glance at the referee.

If the ball departs the field over the cross bar or on the referee's side of the field, then the assistant only flags when requested.

If the ball has momentarily left the field by inches and there is confusion among the players as to whether the ball is out of play, you may give the request for stoppage in play signal first and when the referee whistles to stop play, move the flag into position as shown.

Corner Kick

Point with a crisp motion at a 45-degree angle downward toward the corner flagpost on the side of the field closest to you.  Stand erect and turn your head to look at a majority of the players.  While the ball is retrieved and readied for play, glance at the referee.

If the ball clearly crosses the goal line for a corner kick on the far side of the field, make no signal unless the referee makes eye contact to request assistance.  If the ball wholly crosses the goal line for a corner kick and quickly returns to play, raise the flag vertically until acknowledged by the referee and then point at a 45-degree angle downward toward the corner flag post.

Observe top assistant referees: a slight fool-the-eye used by top assistant has them continue running until they get within one yard of the corner flag post.  Only when they are near the flag, do they stop, stand tall and deliver a crisp signal.  They may have been seven yards from the goal line when the ball crossed the goal line but the appearance to players and spectators is that they were perfectly positioned to make the call.  Try it on routine corner kicks when it is obvious and the referee does not need your immediate assistance.  In cases where the ball touches several players on the way out of  play and the referee is waiting for you to make the distinction between a goal kick and a corner kick, you must relay that information with a quick, emphatic signal regardless of your position.

Regardless of which side the kick comes from, position yourself in line with the goal line, behind the corner flag post, out of the player's way.  If the kick comes from your side, ensure proper placement of the ball around the corner arc.

Substitution

Raise the flag horizontally, well above your head, between both hands.  Lower the flag as soon as the referee acknowledges your signal.  Jog to the halfway line to supervise the player coming off the field and then allow the properly equipped substitute to step onto the field to become a player, or otherwise as instructed in the pre-game discussion with the referee. 

When a substitution is about to be made, both assistant referees shall indicate to the referee by raising the flags over their heads as shown.  The flags shall be lowered simultaneously when the referee signals the substitutes to enter the field of play.  Again, this indicates teamwork and gives the referee the freedom to observe the field as desired.

Direction of Throw-In

For balls that wholly cross the goal line in your end of the field, signal with the flag 45-degrees upward in the direction of the throw-in, using the hand on that side of your body.  Do not cross your body to indicate direction.  If you have been running up the line or down the line, come to a stop, square up to the field and give a crisp signal.  Drop the flag when the restart and direction are clearly established.  Make eye contact with the referee while signaling and if the referee overrules you, perform the flag signal requested by the referee.  Some referees prefer you drop the flag immediately, while some prefer you switch the flag to the other hand to confirm the direction.

While the ball is retrieved and readied for play, glance at the referee.

The referee is primarily responsible for direction on the end away from you.  If the ball passes wholly out of play and immediately returns to the field and players continue to play the ball, give the request for stoppage in play signal in the appropriate hand (the hand on the side of your body that the throw-in will go when play restarts) and make eye contact with the referee.  When the referee whistles to stop play, lower the flag to a position which is 45-degrees upward in the direction of the throw-in if the ball departed the field in your end of the touchline.  The hand indicates the direction of the throw-in on the referee's end of the field in which you hold the flag.

Follow any special pre-game instructions regarding which elements of the throw-in the referee expects you to watch.

Request for Stoppage in Play

That is the basic signal for assistants wishing a stoppage in play.  That is the first part in many multi-part signals:  offside, ball narrowly passing wholly over a boundary line, foul or misconduct.

Come to a complete stop and raise the flag as an extension of your straight arm.  Establish eye contract with the referee.  If the referee waves your signal down, quickly lower the flag and regain your position with the ball or second-to-last defender to judge offside.

If the referee misses the flag, stay at attention with the flag raised until it is no longer appropriate, given the circumstances.  You should discuss those situations with the referee during the pre-game conference.

In those rare cases when it is a flag that should not be waved down, such as a ball that passed wholly over the goal line, under the crossbar and between the goalposts but came back into the field, continue to hold the flag vertically.

Offside-Near Side of Field

That is the second part of a two-part signal.  Once the referee acknowledges your signal by stopping play, drop the flag to a 45-degree angle downward, directly in front of your body.  That indicates the offside infraction was on the near side of the field, closest to your position.

Offside-Middle of Field

That is the second of a two-part signal.  Once the referee acknowledges your signal by stopping play, drop the flag to a 90-degree angle downward, directly in front of your body. While that signal looks exactly like the goal kick signal, there can be no confusion because of the preliminary signal and the circumstances of play.

 

Offside-Far Side of Field

That is the second part of a two-part signal.  Once the referee acknowledges your signal by stopping play, drop the flag to a 45-degree angle upward, directly in front of your body.  That indicates the offside infraction was on the near side of the field, furthest from your position.