Overview

• The government approved a decree-law on June 20 that extends article 583-quater of the penal code to match officials and raises the maximum prison term to 16 years for causing serious injury.
• Recorded assaults on referees have nearly doubled since two seasons ago, intensifying calls for stronger legal deterrents.
• The Italian Referees Association praised the reform and urged educational and cultural initiatives to address underlying fan violence.
• The decree formalizes protections first introduced by the 2019 decreto sicurezza bis by embedding them directly into the penal code.
• Officials warn that legal penalties must be paired with respect-building campaigns to reverse the crisis of vocation among young referees.