India coach Jose Brasa feels that the video referral system, which made hockey World Cup debut here, need some fine-tuning with regard to its timing. Brasa does not favour stopping of play for referrals when one team was is in an advantageous position.
Brasa felt India suffered against the mighty Australians yesterday because of the timing of the referrals by their rivals.
Towards the close of India-Australia match, hosts captain Rajpal Singh's stick touched a rival player inside the home team's striking circle and the Kookaburras successfully appealed for a penalty corner.
But by the time, the referee stopped play to call for the video referral the Indians were in an advantageous position having possession near the Australian striking circle.
Brasa felt India could have got a scoring chance or a chance to get a penalty corner but that went begging due to the referral.
He suggested that play should not have been stopped at that time.
"The video umpire turned down Australia's appeal but we lost an advantageous position which we cannot get back to. That is not fair. We did not commit any foul and still we lost our chance," he rued.
"I think the rule should be that the umpire cannot stop the game in those situation. He could do that only after the ball is out of the game or the ball is in possession of the complaining team (Australia)," he said.
"I understand the referral system is a new thing. But we need lots of changes in this system," added Brasa.
Australian coach Ric Charlesworth said the video referral system had made "wrong decisions" against his side in their 2-3 loss to England on Sunday.
"The video referral decisions went against us. It happened in the Champions Trophy in Australia last year also. But it is the system here, what can we do," he said.
"Towards the close of the match our chance to have a penalty corner was overturned. I could not believe it. That was a penalty corner," he added.
England captain Barry Middleton also felt the referral system was affecting the flow of the game as the video umpire takes lot of time to come to a decision.
"It takes lots of time and affecting the flow but it is a new system. I think once it becomes used to the umpires decisions may become a lot faster," he said.
South African captain Austin Smith had a similar view and hoped it will get better.
"It is a new system and it is taking some time to take decisions. But once the system is used quite often it will getter and the decisions will be quicker," he said.
