Quote:
Originally Posted by //\/\/
...you also need a replay technician at every match, a team to run the technology, somewhere to house it, an extra official to adjudicate...
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Forgot about that - here in NZ, we have the "third umpire/TMO/video replay" for Super 14 games, and test matches - but not for the national provincial championship. And that's despite those NPC games being televised - the decision was made, on the basis of cost, that those games wouldn't have video replay.
This has caused some consternation - as there's still controversial decisions.
But that's a decision that's been made - and all teams know it - and despite controversial decisions being made. The other key point about rugby officiating - is that the TMO can only be used to adjudicate on the awarding or non-awarding of a try. It's a natural break in the game - and so does not disrupt (apart from the delay for replay) the flow of the game. In the event the cameras cannot confirm a try or no-try - the onfield referee has to make a call that determines how the game is restarted. But of course it's a very different
(and far, far better) game than football.
Even if Fifa goes for some form of video replay, and I'm not discounting it - it has to be strictly implemented. In rugby for instance, the on field referee is still the absolute law - and can only ask the TMO for confirmation of a decision made on the field. This is unlike cricket, where like Nutters says - umpires are now almost totally reliant on the TMO - and in tests now, teams can "challenge" a decision several times. This is similar to the challenge system in tennis.
At some point you have to trust your referees - and give them power to make decisions - acknowledging that sometimes they'll be the wrong ones.
Referees and umpires are already constantly and consistently abused by players in football - whereas in rugby, only the captain is officially meant to speak to the ref. If video replay undermines that authority even further - how much will the game become a free-for-all?
Who challenges the refs call? The captain? The coach?
Here in the A-League they ban the replaying of any controversial footage on the screen in the stadium of the game is being played in. Have ever since the league began. It's designed to prevent riots when issues like this happen. The broadcast feed to satellite/TV still has replays in though.
EDIT :
Appears FIFA are doing the same thing. Which is just silly now.... it's not the officiating - it's the replays! Muppets.