Serie A 2026-27 season begins with new refereeing rules

The 2026-27 Serie A season is set to begin on August 22, 2026, with defending champions Inter Milan hosting Monza at San Siro. Due to high summer temperatures, the opening weekend features reduced kickoff times, with matches scheduled only at 18:30 and 20:45.

New refereeing regulations introduced by Daniele Orsato will be implemented, including a five-second limit for throw-ins and goal kicks to combat time-wasting, and a ten-second limit for substitutions. The match official designations for the first round have been released, featuring referees such as Livio Marinelli for Inter-Monza and Matteo Marcenaro for Roma-Fiorentina.

Broadcasting rights for the season include DAZN, which will air all 380 matches, and Sky, which will broadcast three matches per matchday. DAZN is also introducing new programming, such as ‘Fantacalcio Night’ and ‘UCL – coppia dei campioni’.

Bookmakers have already released early odds, positioning Inter Milan as the favorite for the Scudetto, followed by Napoli and Juventus. Meanwhile, some coaches, such as Frosinone’s Alvini, are already being identified by bettors as high-risk for potential dismissal.