FPL assist rules are often a source of confusion and debate for managers, as they differ slightly from the official Premier League’s definition and sometimes even goals fall victim to this confusion. Veteran FPL managers will remember the Solly March incident where many of us had him as our Captain and his goal was given to him after the Gameweek ended which meant losing out on 5 points.
The incident we are talking about was a match between Bournemouth and Crystal Palace over the weekend which featured a thrilling back and forth, including a brace (two goals) scored by Bournemouth’s young striker, Eli Junior Kroupi, who was making his first Premier League start. Kroupi’s first goal came early from a corner flick on which is the point of discussion, and his second was a volley from an Antoine Semenyo cross just before halftime, putting Bournemouth 2-0 up. Crystal Palace then mounted a second half comeback with a Jean Philippe Mateta Hattrick, the last of which was a 97th minute penalty, to secure the draw. Many managers claimed the flick on for the first goal came off Semenyo hence he should be awarded the assist but that was not the case and we will discuss that later on but first we will discuss what are the FPL assist rules.
The core principle is to reward the player who made the final attacking touch before a goal is scored, but the specifics around deflections and inadvertent touches are where the complexity lies, as highlighted by a specific incident involving Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi. So what classifies as an assist in FPL. In FPL, an assist is awarded 3 points regardless of position and can be given for:
The player who makes the final pass, cross, or through ball to the goalscorer. If a player’s shot is saved, blocked, or hits the woodwork, and the rebound is scored directly by a teammate. The player who is fouled to win a penalty or a direct free kick that is subsequently scored (unless the player who won it also scores it). The player who takes a shot or makes a final pass that directly forces an opponent to score an own goal.
Crucially, an assist can still be awarded even if the ball is touched or deflected by an opposing player this is the area of confusion as the rules are very specific.
Deflected Passes/Crosses (Intentional Actions): If an intentional pass (including a cross or flick on) is deflected by a defender, an assist may still be given, especially if the goalscorer receives the ball inside the penalty area after only a single defensive touch (and that touch is not a pass). The rule aims to reward deliberate, positive attacking actions.
Inadvertent Touches (Unintentional Actions): If the final touch by a teammate is unintentional (e.g., a ricochet off the back or knee), it is classified as an inadvertent touch. For an inadvertent touch to count as an assist, it must lead directly to the goal scoring opportunity, meaning the ball must go straight to the goalscorer without any further defensive intervention.
This is where FPL decided not to award Semenyo the assist as FPL deemed “The contact from Antoine Semenyo was recorded as an inadvertent touch that does not directly lead to the goal.” Crucially, following Semenyo’s inadvertent touch, the ball was deemed to have touched a Crystal Palace defender before finally dropping to Kroupi.
The Scout: After review, no assist is awarded for Kroupi Junior's first goal against Crystal Palace. The contact from Antoine Semenyo was recorded as an inadvertent touch that does not directly lead to the goal https://t.co/zQq4U9t8jO
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) October 19, 2025
If Semenyo’s touch had been a clear intentional flick on, the assist might have stood, as intentional actions can withstand a single defensive deflection, especially in the box. Since it was ruled an inadvertent touch, the subsequent defensive touch broke the chain of direct causation required for the assist to be awarded.
In short, the Kroupi Junior incident serves as a clear, real world example of the strict FPL criterion for unintentional contributions, an inadvertent touch must go DIRECTLY to the goalscorer to be awarded an assist. This was the correct decision from the Fantasy team and it will certainly not be the last time we have a goal/assist debate in FPL.
