Rugby term
TMO (Television Match Official)
Definition
TMO stands for Television Match Official, an extra official who watches video replays to help the referee decide on tries, kicks at goal and foul play.
What TMO means in rugby
TMO stands for Television Match Official. The TMO sits away from the field and uses video replays to check incidents the referee and assistant referees could not see clearly.
A TMO is only used when the match organiser appoints one (Law 6), so many matches are played without one.
When the TMO can be used
Law 6 lists the situations the TMO can help with:
- whether the ball was grounded in in-goal
- touch or touch-in-goal at the moment the ball was grounded or made dead
- whether a kick at goal was successful, when there is doubt
- an infringement in the playing area that may have led to a try or stopped one being scored
- foul play, including which sanction to give
Any match official, including the TMO, can recommend a review. Reviews follow World Rugby's TMO protocol (Law 6).
What the referee does and signals
To ask for a review, the referee draws a rectangle in the air with both hands, the shape of a TV screen. The referee can stop the clock while the officials consult (Law 5).
The TMO tells the referee what the replays show. The referee, alongside the other appointed match officials, is the sole judge of fact and law during the match, and the referee announces the decision (Law 6).
What happens after a review
If the replays confirm the try, the referee awards it and the scoring team can take the conversion. If they show an infringement in the build-up, such as a forward pass, the referee disallows the try and restarts play with the sanction for that infringement. For a forward pass, that means a scrum to the other team.
A foul play review can end with a penalty kick, a yellow card or a red card, depending on what the referee decides after seeing the footage.
A common misconception
The TMO cannot rule on everything. Law 6 limits reviews to grounding, touch, kicks at goal, infringements that may have led to or stopped a try, and foul play. A knock-on in midfield that does not lead to or stop a try, and is not foul play, is outside that list.
Referee signal
Common questions
What does TMO stand for in rugby?
TMO stands for Television Match Official. The TMO is an extra match official who reviews video replays and advises the referee on tries, kicks at goal and foul play.
What does the TMO do in rugby?
The TMO checks replays when a match official asks for a review. Under Law 6 the TMO can look at grounding in in-goal, touch, kicks at goal, infringements leading to or preventing a try, and foul play.
When can the TMO be used?
Only in the situations listed in Law 6, and only in matches where the match organiser has appointed a TMO. Any match official, including the TMO, can recommend a review.
Does every rugby match have a TMO?
No. A TMO is used only when the match organiser appoints one, so many matches are played without one.
Who makes the final decision, the TMO or the referee?
The referee announces the decision. The TMO advises, and the laws make the referee, alongside the other appointed match officials, the sole judge of fact and law during a match (Law 6).
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