CORNERFLICK
Serie A went 31 matches without a penalty being awarded, with no on-field VAR review recommended in that run, after Italian referees introduced new guidance for the 2026-27 season.
New approach changes the picture
The Italian referees’ association (AIA) warned clubs and officials that it would begin the campaign with different instructions, following years of criticism over long stoppages, weak penalty decisions and too many red cards. The shift has been most visible in the early weeks of the league season.
The first penalty was not given until match 32, and it came after the first on-field review by VAR. Genoa’s 1-1 draw with Frosinone featured a handball call, but the source says the arm had not clearly moved towards the ball. Lorenzo Colombo then missed the penalty by firing wide.
First goal from the spot comes later
Serie A’s first converted penalty arrived in match 34, when Daniel Maldini scored from the spot to help Cagliari beat Atalanta 2-1. That decision also came after a handball, although the referee spotted Saad Kolasinac’s raised arm in live play.
The numbers have raised questions about whether the league has swung too far in the other direction. In the same span, La Liga had 13 penalties in its first 30 matches, Ligue 1 had nine, the Premier League had five and the Bundesliga had one.