the.com/linesman
the eyes on the edge, silently deciding what everyone else will argue about.
means an assistant referee stationed along the sideline or goal line to judge offside, ball-out-of-play, and fouls the main official can't see.
from from the boundary lines of a pitch or court they patrol, dating to 19th-century codified football and tennis, when one referee simply couldn't watch everywhere at once.
tennis versioncalls faults on baseline and sideline shots
offside jobraises flag at exact moment ball is played
renamed 1996fifa switched title to assistant referee officially
now electronichawk-eye and var quietly replacing human judgment
for instance
world cup 1966 — soviet linesman tofiq bahramov awarded england's disputed goal
wimbledon linesmen — phased out in 2025 for full electronic line-calling
var era — offside calls now reviewed by video, not flag alone