How Serie A became must watch soccer: The rule changes that opened up Italy's beautiful game

Under Daniele Orsato’s leadership and new officiating rules, ball-in-play time is up five minutes per match while fouls, penalties and stoppage tactics have dropped sharply

Serie A returns this weekend following the international break, with the first five matchdays already showcasing a much higher level of soccer than in recent seasons. Unlike in other leagues, the improvement is not just down to new signings, but also to the new refereeing rules introduced across European leagues this season. Serie A is probably the league that has benefited most from the new rules, and here's why. Alongside the new rules, the Italian Referee Association (AIA) underwent a major overhaul ahead of the new season. Former AIA president Gianluca Rocchi stepped down in April, following the emergence of an investigation into Italian referees. Later, the investigation ended with no consequences, but a new hierarchy was established, and former Italian referee Daniele Orsato was appointed as the new leader of the Italian referees.

Orsato immediately set a new direction, one that mirrors his own style as a referee: fewer fouls, more action. His ideas completely changed the game for the better, as multiple players and managers pointed out in the opening games of the season. Inter coach Cristian Chivu, speaking after a 3-2 win against Napoli in September, said: "I want to congratulate the referees for their handling of the game. The game flows, it's entertaining, there's no more time-wasting, and players who go down know they might have