ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Rugby league match officials

Sure! So, in a rugby league match, there are these special people called match officials whose job is to make sure the game is played fairly and smoothly. They wear special clothes and have funny names like referee, touch judge, and video referee.

The referee is like the boss of the game. They wear a different color shirt and they make all the important decisions. They are in charge of making sure the players play by the rules. If a player does something naughty, the referee blows a whistle and gives a penalty to the other team. They also make sure the game is safe and that everyone is playing fair.

The touch judges are like the referee's assistants. They stand on the side of the field and help the referee make decisions. They are like extra eyes for the referee. If the referee is not sure about something that happened in the game, they can ask the touch judges for help. The touch judges also watch if the players kick the ball out of the field and they help the referee decide which team should get the ball next.

Then there is the video referee. They are like a super-duper special match official. They sit in a special room and watch the game on a TV screen. If the referee is not sure about a decision, they can ask the video referee to look at the slow-motion replay and help them make the right decision. The video referee can also help check if a player scored a try or not. They are like the final judge because they can see things that happened in the game very clearly.

All these match officials work together to make sure the game is fair and fun for everyone. They make sure no one cheats and they help the teams play the game properly. So, if you ever watch a rugby league match, remember to say thank you to the match officials for doing a good job!
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