When a referee makes a 'T' symbol, followed by a box shape, the immediate reaction of a rugby fan should be that a correct decision is soon to follow.
The problem is, this year fans release a collective groan when Super Rugby TMOs are called upon.
Saturday night's effort by TMO Ian Smith in Melbourne, where the Rebels controversially knocked the Bulls out of playoff contention, just added to derision from fans.
In the 61st minute of the match, Bulls second five-eighth Burger Obendaal - yes, "Obendaal" - broke through the Rebels defence before rolling across the line.
Referee Nick Briant wasn't in position to rule if Obendaal had grounded the ball, turning to his assistants for assistance.
When he couldn't rule if the ball had been grounded, Briant went to the man with several camera angles and thousands of dollars worth of technology to get the right decision.
Smith looked at three different angles. They showed Obendaal initially landing short of the line, although his momentum saw him roll across the line despite the contact of Rebels defenders.
As Obendaal goes to place the ball several bodies get in the way, making it harder, but not impossible, to see if the ball had been placed.
From personal viewing, zooming in on the footage and taking a frame-by-frame view of each angle, there are two angles where this referee reviewer can see the ball placed on the ground.
Smith ruled, however, that there was "no conclusive evidence" that the ball had been grounded beyond the try line.
The Bulls players, and Obendaal in particular, were quite obviously miffed by the decision, and went on to lose the match by one point, 21-20.
To be fair to television match officials, they make the right decisions almost every time.
The problem is, with the technology at their disposal they should never get it wrong. They have one job, and to fail in that job is bizarre.
Some have questioned whether home television match officials should be appointed to matches, with the thought they could be biased towards the home team.
I don't believe these officials are biased. These are highly professional people who want to make the correct call each time.
But perhaps it is time to go one of two ways with TMOs.
One option would be to have independent television match officials based at some location away from the grounds.
In baseball, instant replay decisions are sent to the Replay Command Centre in New York City. They have the final call as to whether a play stands or is overturned.
Another option would be to put the decisions back into the hands of the on-field referees.
Just like they do in American football, there could be a television replay booth behind each end of the field. When a referee is unclear about a potential try, they head to the booth with their assistant referees to go through the footage themselves.
Heading to a replay booth would take a similar amount of time as heading to the TMO takes now.
It took more than two minutes for a no-try ruling to be given on Saturday in Melbourne, and you wouldn't expect it to take much longer if a referee ran to a booth next to the field.
Of course, there is that saying that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
If our TMOs step up to the mark and make the right calls, there will be no need to look at solutions to the problem.
- Stuff
