Biasin, the referee's standard should not overlook obvious fouls

The new refereeing approach desired by Orsato in his role as referee selector has led to a more limited use of VAR, with the aim of allowing matches to flow more smoothly. After months of controversy over the excessive use of technology, the direction has changed: now there is less intervention, even in situations that seem clear.

Fabrizio Biasin addressed the issue with a post on X, raising the topic of the opposite risk: that of letting even clear incidents go unpunished. The journalist commented on what happened during Inter–Napoli, where Lobotka‘s handball in an attempt to hold back Barella was already evident live, without the need to review the footage.

According to Biasin, that contact was visible to the naked eye and should have been flagged by the VAR room. Instead, no one called referee Sozza, the match continued, and the Nerazzurri players protested strongly. Immediately after that incident, Napoli scored two goals, with Inter appearing disoriented before completing their comeback at the end.

The point raised by the journalist concerns balance: the new criteria must not become an excuse to ignore obvious infractions. The more permissive standard of judgment should be applied with common sense, without turning into a free pass for glaring mistakes. In the first three matchdays of Serie A, similar incidents have been repeated and the debate over the role of technology remains open.