Rocchi: "The referees will explain VAR decisions live at the stadium."

Serie A is introducing referee announcements . This is the major refereeing innovation—already seen at the Club World Cup—for the upcoming season: referees will explain decisions made after VAR interventions live, both in the stadium and on TV. Gianluca Rocchi , referee designator for the Can AB, announced the news during the pre-season meeting in Cascia. “This is a significant step forward in communication,” he explained. “Now the explanations will be immediate, in front of everyone. We will prepare thoroughly. We have a select group and we want to standardize our language and content to be clear with the public. There is no maximum time limit for on-field announcements,” the designator continued, “because every referee has their own style, language, and reaction times. We still need to work to standardize the content of the explanations, but we won't set rigid limits: the quality of the communication will count above all.”

Rocchi: "Technology must not relieve referees of responsibility."

Rocchi then reiterated the need for respectful dialogue on the pitch. "We're open to discussion, but we won't tolerate attacks. We'll be stricter initially to send a strong message," he said, also emphasizing the importance of not delegating everything to VAR: "Technology must not absolve us of responsibility. The best referees are those who make decisions on the pitch, regardless of VAR. We will reward those who have the courage and clarity to take responsibility without delegating everything to technology."