[Positioning] The referee and assistant referee dividing responsibilities on a counter-attack, with the right flank left to the assistant

It was an excellent counter-attack by Okayama, but look also at how the referee and the assistant referee divided their responsibilities. First, when the shot was finally taken, the referee was near the penalty area and able to watch it while standing still. Having run all the way on a counter-attack and still being able to stop and watch was, in my view, excellent running. Next, the handling of No. 99, who had drifted out to the right. It is of course important for the referee and assistant referee to watch a player from both sides, but in this situation I personally think it was acceptable to leave much of it to the assistant referee. There are two reasons. The first is that there was no offside concern. With No. 99 the only player out ahead, no offside offence could arise from a subsequent pass. The assistant referee could therefore focus on whether the ball went out of play and on fouls. The second is the referee's priorities. The referee does, to some degree, need to watch for fouls in No. 99's challenges, but even more important is to see where the Okayama player coming from the centre is running and whether a defending player in the centre commits a foul during the counter-attack. Moving towards the right is also a valid option, but ultimately a pass from the right into the centre was the most likely outcome. Rather than going to the right, the referee left that to the assistant referee and watched the centre closely. As the ball did eventually come into the centre, the referee was able to watch it. This was a scene in which the referee and assistant referee divided their responsibilities very well.