The referee will receive new equipment effective immediately. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

Historic premiere in the Derby d'Italia

On Saturday, history will be made in Serie A with a premiere – the innovation concerns the referees.

September 09, 2025

From: dpa/sn

For the first time, a Serie A referee will be equipped with a bodycam for Saturday's match between Juventus Turin and Inter Milan. The league announced this on Tuesday. The high-resolution microcamera will be attached to the referee's headset and shown during warm-ups, in live match situations such as free kicks, and during replays. The footage will also be available to the VAR.

The innovation had already been tested at the Club World Cup in the USA. "Serie A has always been a pioneer in the introduction of new technologies and is aware of its central role in developing television consumption, marketing our product worldwide, and ensuring transparent refereeing decisions," said Serie A CEO Luigi de Siervo. The camera will offer fans new perspectives.

Serie A hopes for more respect for referees

Antonio Zappi, President of the Italian Referee Association, hopes that the introduction will also have a positive effect on the way referees interact. “The introduction of the Refcam will give everyone the real perspective of the referee’s view of the game scenes being assessed and will enable fans to fully understand how complex the refereeing function is, even at the level of the visual perception of dynamic game situations,” he was told by the Italian news agency HANDLE cited.