During the World Cup, and subsequently, if you are able to watch matches from Europe on television, you will have been interested, intrigued perhaps, at the communication between referees and touch judges, and by the Television Match Official (TMO) decisions that are requested by referees at try scoring situations.
For your interest and information, here, below, is the IRB’s Match Official Communication Protocol.

OBJECTIVE
To provide a consistent approach to communication for referees, touch judges and television match officials (TMO) for international matches to which the IRB select the match officials.


1. Referee Communication Guidelines:

It is important to note that referees communication style is part of the personality of the referee and it is vital that the referee is able to utilise his unique style. The following represent a set of guidelines to assist referees in communicating in an acceptable manner.
1.1 When explaining decisions, referees should be succinct and wherever possible use the language of the Law Book e.g.

a. “Penalty kick to white, blue 6 offside” or “Blue 6 offside, penalty kick to white”
b. “Scrum down, white throw in – knocked on by blue 6, no advantage” or “Knock on by blue 6, no advantage, scrum white throw in.”

c. “Penalty kick here, or scrum back to white there, blue 6 in front of the ten metre line” or “Blue 6 in front of ten metre line, penalty kick
here or scrum back to white there.”

d. “Penalty kick to white, blue 6 not bound” or “Blue 6 not bound, penalty kick to white.”
1.2 The explanation should be accompanied by the appropriate secondary signal.

1.3 Preventative statements should be used sparingly and should not be used all the way through the game. The players should have adapted early in the match.

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