Daniele Orsato confirms new Serie A refereeing and VAR guidelines

Daniele Orsato, the refereeing designator for Serie A, recently met with club representatives and the Italian Referees’ Association (AIA) in Lissone to outline a new technical direction for the season. The primary goal of this ‘new course’ is to promote continuous gameplay by reducing interventions for minor contacts and limiting the use of VAR to ‘clear and obvious errors.’

During the meeting, Orsato acknowledged approximately six officiating errors from the opening matches, including a missed penalty in Juventus-Atalanta and a handball incident in Torino-Milan. Despite these admissions, Orsato and technical director Domenico Messina emphasized that the policy of favoring game flow will not change. Early data suggests the approach is working, with average fouls per game decreasing and effective playing time increasing.

While many coaches expressed satisfaction with the reduced number of interruptions, the new guidelines have also sparked debate. Some critics argue the reduced VAR usage may favor certain clubs, while others, including former referees, suggest the method relies heavily on the unique individual qualities of Orsato himself. The technical directives are also expected to influence Serie B, aiming for greater uniformity across the professional tiers.