Match Officials
Defines the referee, assistant referees, and TMO, and their roles in controlling the match.
What it says
The referee has final authority over all decisions on the field, assisted by two assistant referees and, at higher levels, a Television Match Official (TMO) who reviews incidents using video replay. The TMO's role has expanded over time and now formally covers a defined set of decisions, including foul play and try-scoring incidents.
Why it exists
A single on-field official can't see everything in a fast, physical game with players constantly grouped together. Assistant officials and the TMO exist to catch what the referee reasonably can't, particularly around player safety and close scoring decisions, without undermining the referee's overall control of the match.
In practice
You'll hear the referee say things like TMO, please check that for a try, or see the big screen replay an incident while play is paused. The TMO doesn't make the final call in most cases, they advise, and the referee makes the actual decision, though for clear-cut incidents the TMO's recommendation is usually followed closely.
Common confusions
The TMO isn't reviewing every incident in the match, only specific categories of decision, mainly around tries, foul play, and time-sensitive safety issues. A missed forward pass several phases before a try, for example, generally isn't something the TMO goes hunting for unless it's directly in the passage of play being reviewed.
Last checked against the official law book: 2026-08-24