Five rounds into the Serie A season, the work of refereeing chief Daniele Orsato is already visible in the rhythm of the championship. Matches have moved more freely, with fewer fouls, cards and stoppages, while VAR has been instructed to intervene only when an error is clear and obvious. Yet the same opening period has also brought a public assessment of seven mistakes across Serie A and the Coppa Italia.
The coach and the club
Orsato has set out the new refereeing direction in meetings with Serie A coaches and later with the media at the IBC in Lissone. The intention is to protect the flow of matches without abandoning the role of VAR in exceptional cases.
The early figures underline the change. Average effective playing time has reached 59 minutes and 24 seconds, an increase of five minutes and 53 seconds on last season. Fouls have fallen from 26 per match to 22.74, while only five penalties have been awarded during the first five matchdays, the lowest total among Europe’s major leagues.
Disciplinary numbers have also declined: yellow cards are down from 3.63 to 3.22 per game, and red cards from 0.18 to 0.04. It is a deliberate attempt to make Sunday afternoons in Italy less fragmented, but Orsato has acknowledged that the application of the new line has not been faultless.
There have been five recognised errors in Serie A and two in the Coppa Italia. Most involved missed penalties or failures to punish serious offences; only one was judged an excessive VAR intervention.
The Serie A decisions under review
Vlasic handball in Torino v Milan
The first case came in the opening round. Fourteen minutes into the second half, Alphadjo Cissé’s cross struck Nikola Vlasic’s right arm in the Torino penalty area. Referee Zufferli allowed play to continue and VAR official Mazzoleni did not recommend an on-field review.
Vlasic’s arm was away from his body and moving towards the incoming ball, increasing the space he occupied. Zufferli’s angle made the action difficult to judge at full speed, but the failure of VAR to intervene was considered an error.
Dragusin on Monterisi in Fiorentina v Frosinone
Fiorentina’s 0-3 home defeat to Frosinone on 29 August contained two of the acknowledged mistakes. In the seventh minute, Monterisi reached the ball ahead of Dragusin inside the Viola area and was struck on his left foot. No penalty was awarded by referee Collu, while VAR official Prontera remained silent.
Monterisi’s lack of complete control of the ball could have affected the disciplinary assessment, but not the decision over whether a foul had been committed. The correct outcome should have been a penalty.
Jimenez and Bracaglia in the same match
At the 24-minute mark, Jimenez reacted after being held by Bracaglia. He first used his hand to free himself, then caught his opponent in the back when the ball was no longer nearby.
Collu issued a yellow card for the reaction, but the action was deemed violent conduct and should have resulted in a red card.
Kalulu’s hold on Rowe in Juventus v Atalanta
The most debated league incident arrived in Juventus v Atalanta. Around the half-hour, Samardžić played Rowe through, only for the Atalanta attacker to fall in the area after a prolonged shirt pull by Kalulu.
Kalulu was behind the play and no longer in a position to contest the ball, yet Zufferli did not award a penalty and VAR treated the moment as a subjective on-field decision. The review concluded that Juventus should have conceded a penalty and Kalulu should have been booked.
A dismissal would not have been appropriate because Rowe did not have actual possession of the ball, one of the requirements for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Caqueret’s challenge on Britschgi in Como v Parma
Como’s 2-1 victory over Parma also featured a disciplinary error. Caqueret arrived late on Britschgi with a scissor-like challenge, making contact without a realistic chance of playing the ball.
The French midfielder received only a yellow card, although the severity of the tackle called for a straight red.
Coppa Italia errors
Caracciolo and Pellegrino in Fiorentina v Pisa
In the Tuscan derby on 15 September, which Fiorentina won 3-0 against Pisa in the Coppa Italia round of 32, the Viola were denied a penalty shortly before half-time. Caracciolo held Pellegrino for a prolonged period in the area, using his left arm on the shirt and placing a hand on the attacker’s shoulder as he slowed his run.
Referee Marinelli waved play on and VAR official Santoro did not step in. The decision should have been a Fiorentina penalty.
Lucchesi handball in Torino v Monza
The only case in which VAR was found to have intervened too readily came in Torino v Monza, also in the Coppa Italia round of 32. Monza led 1-0 through Dany Mota when, in the 95th minute, Che Adams sent in a cross from the left and Lucchesi blocked it with an outstretched arm.
Perenzoni initially awarded Torino a penalty. After a VAR recommendation from Baroni, however, he reversed the call. Orsato’s assessment was that the original incident belonged to the referee’s interpretation and should not have led to a VAR review.
The reversed penalty had major consequences, helping Monza progress in the competition. It also illustrates the balance Orsato must manage: a championship with more football and fewer interruptions, but with enough intervention when a decisive mistake is evident.
