The flag communicates information
Law 6 describes the other officials as assisting the referee, who retains the final decision. An assistant indicates specified events and offences; the flag is not itself a substitute for every decision the referee must make.
Imagine a replay showing a raised flag while the referee continues watching the developing situation. A still of the flag can establish that the assistant signalled, but it cannot by itself tell you the referee’s final ruling or the restart eventually awarded.
Follow the next official action
Look for the whistle, direction and communication that follow. The television camera may cut away between the signal and the decision, leaving a gap a later replay needs to restore. A player pausing is not proof that play was officially stopped.
This distinction is useful even without video review. Officials share information through signals and communication, and one camera can show only part of that exchange. The original example is about the relationship between roles, not a universal explanation for every delayed flag or a claim about a particular competition’s video system. Record the assistant’s signal and the referee’s decision separately before describing an apparent contradiction.
Questions answered
Does a flag alone establish the final restart?
No. Follow the referee’s decision.
Why keep the two events separate?
The assistant supplies information within the referee’s overall authority.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.