The Italian football league is set to increase accountability and clarity surrounding its video review process by implementing a new system of in-stadium announcements that will offer a glimpse into referees’ discussions with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team.
This initiative, announced by the league’s governing body on Monday, will be put to the test during the remainder of the Italian Cup matches. Spectators will hear concise explanations regarding decisions made by referees following the review of incidents on sideline monitors. Although Italy is the latest country to trial this, similar systems have already been introduced in England and Germany.
As the Italian Cup continues, Inter Milan is set to clash with their city rivals AC Milan, while Bologna will meet Empoli in the semifinals scheduled for next month. These matches are organized as two-legged affairs, leading up to the final showdown on May 14.
Lega Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo outlined the objective as making decision-making more transparent and comprehensible for everyone involved, including players, coaching staff, stadium audiences, and television viewers.
Soccer, in embracing these in-stadium announcements, follows in the footsteps of other sports that adopted similar technologies much earlier. The NFL, for instance, introduced wireless microphones to referees for penalty explanations back in 1975. Major League Baseball joined the trend in 2022 with in-park announcements for replay reviews, and rugby referees have relied on microphones for some time.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand saw the implementation of in-stadium announcements, as did other FIFA events, contributing to this growing trend in soccer.
Besides vocal announcements, the Italian league will also introduce VAR graphics on giant stadium screens. These are already a staple of television broadcasts and will serve to inform the audience about ongoing reviews or prolonged checks during a match. This new feature will debut with Serie A fixtures this upcoming weekend.
De Siervo emphasized that Lega Serie A is eager to continually push the boundaries of innovation by incorporating cutting-edge technologies designed to enhance both the fan experience and the refereeing quality across the league, noting that Italy was a pioneer as the first in the world to adopt VAR.