So Orsato, the guy in charge of Serie A refs, came out and said: no more soft penalties, fewer cards, let the refs make decisions on the pitch and even make mistakes. Basically, stop the forensic VAR nonsense that kills the game. And honestly? I'm nodding along like a madman.
Soft penalties are killing the buzz
You know the ones. A striker feels a hand on his shoulder and goes down like he's been shot. Ref points to the spot, VAR checks it for three minutes, and the game dies. Orsato's saying enough. He wants refs to have the right to make mistakes – which is wild when you think about how terrified officials are of getting a decision wrong. But that's the point: football is a human game. If we wanted robots, we'd watch chess.
I've been to games where a soft penalty ruined the atmosphere. Home fans furious, away fans laughing, neutrals switching channels. It's not football, it's bureaucracy with a ball.
But wait – won't this just lead to chaos?
Part of me worries. Refs are only human, and if you tell them to ignore minor contact, some will let actual fouls go. Then you get players taking justice into their own hands – more shithousery, more injuries. Orsato says he wants fewer fouls and cards, but you can't just wave a wand. Refs need to be consistent. If one week a slight pull is a penalty and the next it's play on, we're back to square one.
Also, what about VAR? Is he saying get rid of it? Probably not entirely, but he wants it used only for clear errors, not for re-refereeing every 50-50. I can get behind that. The best games are the ones where you forget VAR exists.
Players will adapt – they always do
Here's the thing: footballers are smart. If refs stop giving soft penalties, strikers will stop throwing themselves down. They'll try to stay on their feet because they know they won't get the call. That's a win for the sport. We might actually see more goals from open play instead of set-piece lottery.
And let's be real: the Premier League has been drowning in soft pens for years. If Serie A trials this and it works, other leagues will follow. Orsato might be starting a revolution.
What about the refs themselves?
Giving refs the right to make mistakes is a huge shift. For years, they've been hung out to dry by VAR and by fans who expect perfection. But if you tell them 'we trust you, go with your gut', you might get more confident decisions. Or you might get more howlers. It's a gamble.
I'd rather have a ref who makes a genuine mistake than one who hides behind a screen. At least you can argue about it in the pub afterwards. That's part of the fun.
Will it actually happen?
Talk is cheap. Orsato can say all this, but until we see refs waving away soft penalties in a derby, it's just words. Serie A has a reputation for drama, and the media will pile on if a ref misses a clear foul. One bad weekend and they'll be begging for VAR back.
But I hope it sticks. Football is better when it flows. Nobody wants to watch a game stopped every 30 seconds for a forensic review of a shirt pull. Let the players decide the match, not the officials.
So yeah, I'm cautiously optimistic. Orsato might be the guy who saves us from the era of the soft penalty. Or he might be remembered as the guy who tried and failed. Either way, it's a conversation worth having.
Bottom line: If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. And right now, soft penalties are the problem.
