What is the role of assistant referees in rugby?

Answer 1

The primary role of the assistant referee is to call offside, since the referee is very rarely in a good position to judge it. Assistant referees typically also help with fouls, balls out of play, and close goal-or-no-goal calls. They have a special role during penalty kicks and kicks from the mark: watch to ensure the goalkeeper's feet don't move forward or backward off the goal line before the ball is kicked. As the name implies, they are assistants to the referee, and will perform other duties as requested by the referee, such as assisting with the pre-game field inspection, checking players' equipment, assisting with the substitution procedure, and managing unruly coaches on the bench. Most assistant referees will also keep backup records of match evens (goals, time, sanctions, etc) in case the referee's watch or notebook become unserviceable during the match.

The information above applies to qualified and trained assistant referees, most of whom are also qualified referees. When a qualified assistant referee is not available, club linesmenmay be used. The only decision that a club linesman can make is when the ball is out of play; even then, the referee will still determine the direction of the restart.

Answer 2

An assistant referee is an official in soccer, previously known as a linesman, whose job it is to assist the referee.