Casarin on Offside: "The Linesman Is Disappearing"

In his editorial for Corriere della Sera, former referee designator Paolo Casarin addresses the balance between technology and human judgment in modern football, focusing on the role of the referee in relation to VAR. The former referee highlights how today the game predominantly unfolds in the penalty area, with incidents often difficult to assess in real-time, such as simulations, unnoticed fouls, and involuntary or cunning handballs.

Furthermore, the millimeter-precise measurement of offside – according to Casarin – risks penalizing the spontaneity of the game. The former designator also leans towards the progressive reduction in the role of the linesman, a figure now almost excluded from the active assessment of offside.