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The NRL says a captain’s challenge option will be next following next year’s introduction of an NFL-style “bunker” referral system in a bid to improve the standard of video refereeing.
The league’s head of football Todd Greenberg revealed the full details of the ground-breaking Central Command Centre – to be located at Redfern in Sydney – at Rugby League Central on Friday.
The Australian Rugby League Commission-approved implementation will be a first for Australian sport, utilising Hawk-Eye Innovations video review technology and supported by Telstra’s Digital Video Network platform.
“This will be a game changer for rugby league in this country,” Greenberg said.
“It has the potential to halve the time taken to review a decision and deliver more accurate results.”
After an exhaustive trial process, the league will follow the lead of the NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB, who all use central command centres in the United States with great success.
Video referees conducted some 750 reviews this year, with an average of four a game, the painstaking processes leaving spectators to sit through some seven hours of waiting – often to get the wrong result anyway.
“We think we can get to lose than 40 seconds every time we review a decision and that’s a marked improvement,” Greenberg said.
“Fans won’t have to sit around and wait for as long as they currently do to get a yes or no decision on a try.
“And clearly we want to get it right, so we want to make sure our accuracy levels improve.
“There should be a zero tolerance to (video refereeing) errors.
“It’s a big part of the evolution of our game to continue to give our match officials all the tools and technology to make sure that they can make great decisions.”
Currently, video referees based in small boxes at the match venues have to make high-pressure decisions with fans banging on their windows.
Video referees are also at the mercy of the broadcasters’ replays.
In the sanctuary of a bunker, officials will have multiple camera angles, touch screen interfaces, zoom functions and split screens at their disposal.
“Our video referees will be using state-of-the-art technology,” Greenberg said.
To improve transparency and hopefully remove frustration among fans, viewers will also see the decision-making unfold before their very eyes.
“We want to make sure they’re part of that process. They can hear it and we want to hold those people who make those decisions accountable,” Greenberg said.
“Referees will still be paid to make on-field decisions. We won’t be micro-managing the game.”
But believing the bunker system can get close to 100 per cent of decisions right, Greenberg said a captain’s challenge system is also in the pipeline beyond 2016.
“Nil mistakes in the video referee box is what we’re aiming for,” he said.
“Video refereeing decisions have a massive impact on the game. This is an investment in the game’s integrity.
“I think it will transform the game.”
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