Italian referees could soon be explaining their decisions to fans, players and coaches via their own online channel.
The new heads of the AIA (Italian Referees Association) have said for some time they want to provide referees the opportunity to speak to the media after matches, the same way coaches and players do.
However, the idea was quickly abandoned, with the authorities noting they needed more time to put officials through media training.
Instead, La Gazzetta dello Sport claim there is another idea in the works that could allow for more transparency from referees and help to elucidate some of the decision-making process.
That would be the AIA setting up their own online channel and uploading videos explaining contentious decisions, why they were made, and why they were either correct or a mistake.
It would be current refereeing designator Gianluca Rocchi who’d speak directly to camera and present the case for his officials.
There were two incidents in the last few Serie A games that sparked controversy, namely the goals disallowed for active offside positions for Atalanta against Roma and Milan against Napoli.
Both caused fury among coaches and the media, but the AIA assured that both were indeed punishable offside positions, even without coming into contact with the ball or being in the path of the shot.
Gazzetta – L’AIA pensa ad un canale telematico: i dettagli https://t.co/hO7YM3lzg3
— TuttoJuve.com (@TUTTOJUVE_COM) December 29, 2021
It would be better and more “transparent” to explain the decision in real time. Explain it to the captain and to the fans at the stadium as well with live feed for TV.
I don’t follow American sports but I think they do something similar.
Doing it real time would lessen any backlash or controversy. But doing it after the fact is not really that transparent because it gives them time to find an explanation and to read the media before they give an explanation.
Something like this is needed. Refs in Rugby Union have been mic’d up for years allowing tv audiences to hear them explain decisions in real time, as they talk to players. Trial it in a lower level league to ensure it works then introduce it to Serie A & B.