Use of white card will help reduce reffing errors
MADIBAZ rugby coach David Maidza has welcomed the introduction of the white card that will enable coaches and captains to refer decisions for review to Television Match Officials (TMOs) during games in the Varsity Cup next season.
Maidza, whose team came agonisingly close to reaching the Varsity Cup final earlier this year, thinks the innovation will help referees reach the correct decision.
“It is a good innovation and of course, referees are also human beings and they might miss out on certain items. So just to go back and review is critical,” Maidza said.
Maidza, however, felt that there were areas that still needed to be refined as far as the experiment of using two referees was concerned.
“As far as the two referees go, because it was in the first season and an experimental season, I felt to a certain degree that there was a little bit of inconsistency as to how both refs managed certain areas on the field.
“At times I felt one referee dominated the other and that kind of thing,” Maidza said.
The white card, which allows coaches and captains to refer decisions to the TV official, will be reintroduced next season, the tournament organisers and SA Rugby have announced.
SA Rugby’s general manager of referees Andre Watson said: “This is a step in the right direction to assist referees to get that important decision correct and to put some responsibility on the captain and coaches to help with the process.”