Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini has strongly endorsed the new refereeing regulations introduced in Serie A, saying they could bring about a major change in the way matches are played in Italy.
The opening round of the 2026-27 campaign featured measures designed to reduce time-wasting, limit stoppages and increase the amount of effective playing time. Gasperini was speaking after Roma’s 4-0 victory over Fiorentina on Monday, and said supporters would benefit from the changes.
Serie A has traditionally been associated with defensive organisation and tactical caution, characteristics that have often contributed to low-scoring matches. The new rules represent an attempt to create a faster contest by shortening delays and discouraging players from slowing the game down.
Under the revised regulations, goalkeepers have five seconds to take a goal kick. If they fail to do so, the opposition is awarded a corner. The same five-second limit applies to throw-ins, with possession changing and the other team receiving the throw if the deadline is missed.
A further change concerns injuries. When play is halted because a player is down, that player must remain off the pitch for one minute, whether or not medical treatment is required.
Substitutions have also been affected. A player leaving the field has 10 seconds to do so after being replaced. If that time is exceeded, the incoming substitute must wait for one minute before entering the pitch.
The new regulations include changes to the use of Video Assistant Referee technology. VAR officials can now review incidents that may have resulted in a second yellow card, rather than limiting reviews to situations involving an immediate red card.
That means an incident can be examined if a player has been wrongly shown a second yellow card and sent off. It also applies when a player who has already been booked commits another offence that could warrant a second caution.
VAR officials will also carry out quick checks on corner-kick decisions. Those reviews are intended to confirm whether a corner has been awarded correctly or whether the decision should instead be a goal kick.
Asked about the measures after Roma’s victory, Gasperini expressed an enthusiastic response, in comments reported by Corriere dello Sport.
“Do I like them? A lot!
“The fans benefit from it, because they used to watch terribly boring games. The goalkeeper used to be the player who had the most touches. Those are excellent rules, even the one that forces a player to stay out for a minute. You didn’t see anyone lying down and making drama. They all get up. Those rules were really very well thought out; the fans want to see the game and not people wasting time.”
The former approach, Gasperini suggested, allowed players to spend too long receiving treatment or restarting play. He believes the first round of matches showed that enforcing shorter delays can improve the spectacle without creating unnecessary drama.
