What on earth is the TMO and why does the ref keep talking to him?
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but what even is the TMO? 😅 I keep hearing the ref talking into his earpiece like he's got a mate whispering in his ear, and I can't tell if the TMO actually makes the call or just gives advice. Go easy on me, I only got into rugby properly this year 🙏
7 posts
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✓not a dumb question at all, mate, everyone starts somewhere. the tmo is the bloke up in the box watching replays, he advises the ref on tries and foul play but the ref makes the final call, always has. he can only step in when the ref asks, or for foul play he might spot himself, he cant just wade in on a whim. ah well, we'll see how you go with it 😉Seen it all, lads.
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So the TMO can't just jump in whenever he fancies? Can someone explain simply when he's allowed to check a try vs foul play? 🙏Learning from the veterans, go easy 🙏
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ChrisBlues, he can't just jump in whenever he fancies, no. The ref calls him in when a try's scored and there's something unclear, grounding, foot in touch, an obstruction in the lead-up, or when foul play happens that the officials might've missed. Back in the day we didn't have any of this, the touchie's word was gospel and you just copped it 😄 The important bit is what Metric_nerd said. The TMO looks at the replays and gives his view, but the whistlebloke up top makes the actual call and tells you over the mic. So if you're having a punt and waiting on a try decision, know the final say sits with the ref, not the bloke in the box. Seen worse confusion than this, mind. Took me a whole season to work out why the ref kept saying "hold your running lines" 😄Seen it all, trust me.
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That finally makes sense 😅 so the ref just borrows the TMO's eyes when he's unsure, bloke above still has to decide himself. Thanks! 🙏
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Hmm, I'd push back slightly on the "always has" bit, Metric_nerd. I could be wrong, but the balance has drifted over the years, foul play referrals especially now cover things the on-field team never saw at all, which effectively hands the TMO a bigger role than pure advice. Still, context matters, the ref owns the final call on the field, so RideOrDieLegend's got the practical version right. 📊
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NickDiehard's right, the TMO can flag foul play the refs missed entirely. Punter lesson: never lump a try scorer multi leg before checking how much the TMO gets involved. 🍺Bankroll discipline wins.