Rugby World Cup shows too much use of TMO puts sport on slow-mo

29 October, 2015 16:54

Rugby Union - Ireland v Canada - IRB Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool D - Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales.
Image by: Andrew Boyers / REUTERS

It has taken the Rugby World Cup in Britain to illustrate exactly how intrusive or frustrating the television match official’s (TMO) involvement has become… how a good idea has been perverted, abused and made a mockery of.

In cricket, the TMO was brought in to reverse decisions called “howlers” …eg decisions so bad that they simply cannot be allowed to stand.

In rugby it is a little more complicated because the TMO must adjudicate in cases such as pushover tries – where it almost appears as if any player near the ball has his hand on it or under it.

In cricket the concept of the howler has gone out the window. Now umpires refer to the TMO for no-balls AND obvious run-outs a AND obvious stumpings and clearly taken catches.

I have even heard umpires asking for help with lbw decisions - other than inside edges.

What is more, all these goings-on are shown on  jumbotrons at  rugby and cricket grounds so 50 000 other “TMOs” can chime in with their often hysterical or ignorant bob’s worth.

Then there are the TMOs who just love playing with the technology.

“Rock n roll that just once more,” says a TMO, after the pivotal frame has been shown over and over again.

In rugby it’s “show me another angle” or “show me an aerial view”. It just goes on and on while endless minutes are lost.

A five-day cricket Test is long enough without some self-important – or terrified --- TMO taking five minutes to make up his mind.

And the consequence of showing these things on the big screens, is that umpires and referees, for fear of being shown up and ridiculed, check everything.

When a bowler’s foot is 20cms behind the line (legal) the umpire checks for a no-ball.

When it is glaringly obvious to every pair of eyes watching, that a pass has been forward, the ref checks.

Then we have a situation such as that between Scotland and South Africa, where the TMO, George Ayoub, did his level best to take the referee’s whistle away from field referee Nigel Owen from the TMOs box.

Even the usually equable Bob Skinstad, offering specialist analysis in the commentator’s box, became so irritated that he was moved to ask what Ayoub thought he was trying to do by over-riding Nigel Owen’s verdicts.

Just by the way, Owens is probably the best ref at the World Cup.

Rugby’s move to have referees as touch judges and TMOs – though well intended in the fight against dangerous and dirty play --- has resulted in three other people wanting to stick their noses into what the on-field ref should be left to handle

It’s become a free for all worse than some of those you sometimes see among the players.

The intention of creating the TMO - in cricket and rugby - was to give the on-field official help when he needs it. Not to try and change his mind or overrule him when he’s made up his mind - and not to check issues so glaringly obvious that an idiot could make the right call.

And as for taking play - in rugby - back four or five moves, to look at something the TMO saw… well, if the on-field ref has seen the incident and not regarded it as illegal in any way, then it is not for the TMO to take him back and try to change his mind.

The technocrats who couldn't wait for technology to make it’s (obnoxious and intrusive) presence felt, argue that sport is now professional and a wrong decision can cost a team/individual money.

Well I saw a TMO give a try last week when a defending player’s hand was clearly under the ball.

TMOs have robbed cricket of its whimsical charm and turned rugby into a bloody babbling mob at the morning market.

In both sports, the innovation desperately needs tweaking. TMOs have to be reined in
.