FOOTBALL – SERIE A referees will begin announcing VAR decisions live in stadiums and on television starting next season, referee designator Gianluca Rocchi told Italian media yesterday.
The new system had already been experimented in the semi-finals and Final of the Coppa Italia last term, but there were no VAR incidents requiring the communication.
It was also used in the Fifa Club World Cup over the summer, and now will be a consistent part of Serie A football in the 2025-26 campaign.
Rocchi described the move as a significant step forward in communication between referees and the public, saying the aim was to make officiating decisions quicker and clearer.
“We have a select group of officials and we want to ensure the language is as uniform as possible so that decisions can be clear to the public,” Rocchi said.
The concept of referees explaining decisions to the crowd has also been explored in countries including England and Germany.
The Serie A season kicks off on August 23.
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