Serie A VAR Rule Change: On-field Officials To Explain Decisions Live from 2025-26 Season

There is a major revolution in the Italian top flight after Serie A's chief of referees, Gianluca Rocchi, confirmed that the on-field referees will now need to explain VAR decisions live on the pitch. This update comes against the backdrop of some major VAR blunders last season that heavily cost some teams. Gianluca Rocchi said, “We made a mistake last season by not communicating enough. Sometimes we tried to protect the group instead of showing what happened. This year we’ll be more open and clear.”

How will New Serie A VAR Rule Impact the Italian League?

This major overhaul in Serie A VAR rules will enhance transparency and bridge the gap between fans, players, and referees. This is also expected to reduce misunderstanding and controversy, which resulted in unnecessary backlash from teams and the media. The new Serie A VAR rule will also increase accountability with explanations on record, and referees may become cautious. Fans will also feel more involved and engaged in such decisions.

However, there will be immense pressure on the referees to speak in front of large crowds, especially if the decision goes against the home team. There are language and communication barriers too, as referees are expected to be proficient in the local language to explain the decisions.

Previous Errors Serie A VAR Decisions

Previously, Serie A matches were adversely affected by controversial refereeing calls, especially in games like the Juventus vs Salernitana game, where there was a Serie A VAR failure to spot an offside. The same happened with the Roma vs Inter Milan, which was probably a title-deciding fixture, where there were questionable VAR penalty calls. The lack of communication in the post-match decisions led to widespread frustration and unrest among fans. Now on, Serie A referees will announce the VAR-reviewed decision via microphone and give a brief explanation to back their reasoning.