Monoii — Judges' Deliberation
Monoii (物言い) is the formal challenge or deliberation process used when the five shinpan (ring judges) believe a bout's outcome may have been incorrectly decided. Any judge can call a monoii by raising his hand immediately after the bout ends.
When a monoii is called, the five judges gather in the center of the ring. They may uphold the referee's decision, reverse it, or order a rematch (tori-naoshi) when the finish cannot be separated.
Modern sumo augments monoii with video replay, which judges can consult in difficult cases. The combination of human judgment and video technology has reduced controversies, though borderline cases still generate heated debate among fans. A dramatic monoii overturning the gyoji's initial decision is always a crowd moment.