Serie A’s goalless draws disappear amid new refereeing rules

Goalless draws have disappeared from Serie A with the use of new refereeing rules. The change is described as potentially temporary: the measures have helped revive the league, but there is no guarantee the trend will last.

Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time this summer. Against that backdrop, Italian football officials made use of rules seen at the 2026 World Cup. They were intended to speed up play and reduce stoppages.

The measures include a 5-second limit for taking a throw-in or goal kick. A substituted player must leave the pitch within 10 seconds, while an injured player who has received treatment must remain off the field for one minute. The rules were championed by Pierluigi Collina, a former referee who became head of refereeing at the Fédération internationale de football (FIFA), twenty years after retiring from officiating.

Reactions reflect both the appeal of the change and doubts about how long it can last. After the 2-2 draw between Inter Milan and Roma, Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu said: « I see a league where the intensity of competition and the quality of play have increased. » He also praised faster matches with fewer interruptions and said he welcomed the possibility of high-scoring games.

Daniele Orsato, the new head of refereeing, summed up a lesson from the World Cup: « The legacy of the World Cup is that we saw how central the referee’s role is. » He also described the pressure the new rules may place on an injured player, who could leave his team with one fewer player for a minute by staying down. Orsato acknowledged that applying the rules demands more thought from referees, while saying the results are evident.

Roberto Mancini, who returned to lead the Italian national team after leaving his post in 2023, also praised the referees. He recalled that he had always felt the game was slower in Italy than in England, where referees blew the whistle more often. But he is unsure the trend will last when the stakes rise: « Goalless draws will return when the stakes of matches increase; that’s Calcio. »