World Rugby has amended the Television Match Official (TMO) protocol within Law 6 to provide the match official team with greater decision-making support when applying the high tackle sanction framework for dangerous shoulder charges and high tackles.
Starting immediately – including the weekend’s international matches – it will now be mandatory for the TMO to be involved in the verification process to confirm any red card decisions which are linked to the referee’s use of the new framework (see graphic below). The amendment is as follows:
4.6: If the referee determines that a dangerous high tackle or shoulder charge warrants a red card, then the referee must firstly verify the decision with the TMO. Both the referee and TMO should use the High Tackle Sanction Framework to determine whether a red card is the correct sanction.
World Rugby TMO Protocol – August 2019
The amendment follows an initial review of progress since the framework’s implementation in May 2019. World Rugby’s Executive Committee want to ensure that the important player welfare initiative continues to optimise clear and consistent officiating.
The Rugby World Cup match officials will have full use of Hawkeye technology to support their on-field decision making. World Rugby has again given its full backing to the process, its implementation by the match officials and has endorsed the continued close collaboration and communication between coaches, players and match officials.
The full TMO protocol can be downloaded here (updated link: 2023)
As usual no system is perfect, I can only hope that it does not slow the game down once again. I hope with involvement of the TMO in red card decision making the penalties for officials getting it wrong is also dealt with as efficiently, thoroughly and severely.
This new “high/dangerous” tackle protocol is excellent news.
Too many cards, both red and yellow, have been enforced for “high” tackles which, of themselves are neither foul or dangerous.
Given the dynamic nature of ‘the tackle’ it has, always, been absolutely obvious when a player ‘intentionally’ targets the head or otherwise commits foul play e.g. stamping, punching, gouging, etc.
Well done the law makers.