VIENTIANE, Laos — There were close calls and few lapses, but officiating in taekwondo has been generally fair so far.

The Philippines won two of six gold medals at stake Thursday in the 25th Southeast Asian Games and rued one that got away – a split second point awarded to Thai heavyweight Rapatkorn Prasopsuk who edged Kirstie Elaine Alora, 4-3.

“Di naman tumama, daplis lang,” said the 20-year-old Alora who could have sent the match to sudden death.

RP coach Rocky Samson said he tried to contest the call when he flashed the video replay card, but the referee failed to notice.

The video replay card is one of the rules innovations to improve officiating in a sport that relies heavily on judgment calls.

A coach can challenge a call or non-call by flashing the card. The referee then stops the fight and let the arbitration committee to watch the video replay and decide whether or not to uphold or reject the query.

If the query is upheld, the card is returned to the coach.

However, if the committee finds the query without basis, the card won’t be returned to the complaining coach.

Samson has used the video card successfully, including one instance when Mary Antoinette Rivero was awarded 3 points after video footage showed she connected a head shot against Valy Mathmanisone of Laos in the semifinals.

That turned out was Rivero’s lone point and the winning one against the home bet who was credited with a point toward the end of the low-scoring bout.

Stephen Fernandez, one of 18 referees here, said the innovation has helped minimize protests and erase suspicions of match rigging.

“Referees are humans, too. They make mistakes. The video replay card helps correct the oversight,” said Fernandez.

Referees, on their own initiative, can also summon fellow referees to discuss a particular question and make a rule on the spot.

In the last world championships in Milan, electronic armors were used for the first time. Referees were limited to scoring only head shots and determining whether to add one point if one fighter scores a turning side kick.

Since the electronic armor cannot determine what kind of blow it absorbs, it is the referees who add the appropriate score.

Unfortunately, the new armor is not in use in the Games.

“The armor still needs some tinkering. It needs calibration. And it is expensive,” said Fernandez.

A set of armor costs $700 (close to P35,000). It does not include the system that connects it to the computer.

The Philippine Taekwondo Association has ordered a set of electronic armors for use of Filipino athletes.