The assistant referee should stay about one or two feet outside of the touchline in order to maintain a wide-angle view of play close to the touchline and to avoid causing the ball to remain in play if it were to strike the assistant referee.
Always make eye contact with the referee before signaling. Come to a complete stop and face the field before signaling. In all signals, the flag is an extension of your arm. You should be able to trace a line from your shoulder down your arm to the tip of the flag. Signal with your arm held completely straight. If the signal is composed of multiple parts, start the first signal in the arm that will be used to make the next signal. If you must change hands, do it below your waist. Do not signal in an overly hasty manner, but do signal crisply, quickly, and authoritatively. It is sometimes helpful to signal in a manner in which the fabric makes a loud snap as you signal. Hold your signal until the referee acknowledges it, either by stopping play or by waving it off. Then drop your flag and move to the proper position.
If there is no occurrence that would bring the validity of the goal into question, make eye contact with the referee and sprint a short distance up the touchline towards the center line. Then record the goal. If there was an offside violation by the team that scored the goal, signal the offside violation. If there was a foul by the team that scored the goal that you believe the referee did not see or any other problem that might invalidate the goal, stand at attention and do not move until the referee consults you about the situation.
