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A video referee, also known as the instant replay official, television match official or third umpire, is a sports official called upon to help adjudicate a sports match using television footage. Video referees are used in many sports, including cricket, rugby union, rugby league and ice hockey. The role of the video referee differs varies, often they can only be called upon to adjudicate on specific events. Due to the cost of television cameras and other equipment needed for a video referee to function, most sports only employ them at a professional or top-class level. Image File history File links Merge-arrows. ... For other uses of the term Instant replay, see Instant replay (disambiguation). ... This article is about the sport. ... For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... Rugby league football is a full-contact team sport played with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ...

Cricket

In cricket, the video referee is referred to as the third umpire. The third umpire is called upon to adjudicate by the two on-field umpires where they are unsure over a decision of a dismissal or boundary. Brett Lee looks on as the third umpire ponders his decision. ... In the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out (also known as taking a wicket). ... A traditional boundary rope. ...

Ice hockey

In ice hockey, the video referee is referred to as a Video Goal Judge.

Rugby league

Video referees are also used in rugby league in the domestic National Rugby League (Australia/New Zealand), Super League (Europe) as well as in international matches. In rugby league the video referee can be called upon by the match official to determine the outcome of a possible try. The "video ref" can make judgements on knock-ons, offside, obstructions, hold-ups and whether or not a player has gone dead, but is not allowed to rule on a forward pass. If a forward pass has gone un-noticed by the on-field officials it must be disregarded by the video ref. This is because forward passes are largely a judgement call, but due to the effects introduced by camera angles, such judgements cannot reliably be made. The National Rugby League (NRL) is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. ... Super League (Europe) began in March 1996 and is the only full-time professional rugby league competition operating in the northern hemisphere. ...

Rugby union

In rugby union the video referee is officially referred to as the Television Match Official (TMO) and is used mainly in international and professional games. The TMO can only be used in the situation where the referee can not see if the ball has been grounded for a try. The TMO can not be used in any other circumstances.

See also

• Instant replay
• Referee