The 'soft signal' — where on-field umpires gave a preliminary out/not-out call for catches — was one of DRS's most hated features before being removed in 2022.
What Was the Soft Signal?
When a catch was referred to the third umpire, the on-field umpire would give a 'soft signal' — a preliminary judgment of either 'out' or 'not out'. This soft signal would stand unless the third umpire found 'clear and obvious' evidence to overturn it.
The problem was that many catches in the outfield are genuinely difficult to judge — even with multiple camera angles. When evidence was 'inconclusive', the soft signal stood, even if most observers disagreed with it.
Why It Was Controversial
The soft signal created multiple problems:
- On-field umpires were often very far from the action and couldn't see clearly
- 'Inconclusive evidence' is subjective — what's inconclusive to one third umpire might be clear to another
- The soft signal effectively put a thumb on the scale — the third umpire had to prove the on-field umpire wrong rather than simply judge the catch independently
- Several international matches were influenced by questionable soft signals
Removal
After years of complaints from players, coaches, and commentators, the ICC removed the soft signal in 2022. Now, the third umpire makes an independent judgment on catches without any preliminary guidance from the on-field umpire.
This was widely welcomed as a sensible reform. The third umpire simply reviews the footage and makes the best decision they can — out, not out, or (in rare cases) stand with the on-field call if truly inconclusive.