The television match official (TMO) is a crucial part of the officiating team in rugby, as they are the “eye from the sky” off the field.
What is a Television Match Official (TMO) in rugby?
The TMO is a fifth member of the officiating team who is off the pitch and helps the referee to make marginal calls, supports in determining if the ball has crossed the line, or steps in when the referee has missed something or a mistake has been made.
When can the TMO intervene? Current protocols explained
The TMO can intervene in a range of scenarios, though the extent of their involvement can anger fans either way.
World Rugby states that the TMO should intervene only when there is a “clear and obvious” error by the officials.
In 2022, World Rugby sought to clarify that referees should use the TMO only when an act of foul play or something that has contributed to a “big moment” or a try occurs.
World Rugby also clarified that the referee can use the TMO to make important decisions. The referee must state their initial thoughts on the incident, whether they believe there was a try or no try. This will mean that if there is no conclusive evidence from the video footage, the on-field decision will stand. In these scenarios, the referee is advised to look at the angles alongside the TMO. They should come to a decision together.
The TMO will use multiple camera angles to look for factual evidence to support or overturn a decision. They may look at the point of contact in a collision or use slow-motion replays. Their job is to look for the finer details and gather evidence.
TMO vs Bunker System: Understanding the Difference
The Bunker is another term that is often confused with the TMO. The Bunker is an additional official added at the highest level who will specifically look at instances of foul play for an extended period of time. A referee on the field will initially give a yellow card, and within the 10-minute sin bin, the Bunker referee will decide whether a 20-minute red card should be awarded.
The Bunker official can support the regular TMO when they are not required to look at specific instances of foul play.
The impact of the TMO on game flow and accuracy
The idea of a TMO was introduced to Rugby Union in 2001. The idea was to improve the accuracy of refereeing decisions that the referee and touch judges couldn’t see through in real time.
This obviously brings longer stoppages to the game. No decision-making system will ever be perfect, and with fan bias, there will always be one set of fans unhappy. This is where a balance needs to be struck between accuracy and time.
Fans, players and bodies all want as many correct decisions as possible, in as little time as possible.
