Serie A Referee Designator Gianluca Rocchi: “Soon Audio Of VAR Communication With Referee During Matches Available”

Serie A Referee Designator Gianluca Rocchi anticipates that the audio of communications between on-pitch officials and VAR will be made available for the Italian top flight soon.

Speaking to Italian broadcaster Radio Anch’io Lo Sport, Rocchi outlined plans to make the VAR process more transparent and accountable after some complaints regarding its implementation this season.

Inter have had their own problems with VAR so far this campaign, with the penalty awarded to Juventus late in their match at the San Siro, from which the Bianconeri equalized, a particular flash point.

In this case, the Nerazzurri’s primary complaint was that the penalty looked to have been a soft one, having been waved away by the on-pitch official, but that the VAR advised the referee to take a second look.

Virtually every club in the league has had some form of issues with the use of VAR this season, and Rocchi explains that he hopes that by making the conversations underlying the decisions available, more faith will be put in the system.

“What we said to the guys is that we have to bring the referee back to the centre of the decisions,” he explained. “VAR is a fantastic tool if the referee works in a straightforward, consistent and convincing way.”

“At that point the technology can correct a lot,” he went on, “and improve the decisions on the pitch. Otherwise technology can become an enemy. Not everyone is using VAR, we have chosen a small group, while on the pitch we are giving a chance to new younger referees.”

“Looking at the monitor is complicated, you are bound to the images and you have to evaluate them. On the pitch the referee operates on instinct. This is why having both as possibilities is the correct way to go forward,” he went on.

“I think we’re getting close to the point where we release the audio from VAR,” Rocchi explained. “Nothing is kept secret, we keep the recordings without problems. We need them for educational purposes, to see how well the communication with VAR has gone.”

“Consider that in the evaluation of VAR there is not only the decision,” he went on, “which is the central issue, but also the way that the communication takes place.”