After 31 matches, the first penalty appears in Serie A

The current season of Serie A has started with a remarkable refereeing statistic, as the first 31 matches of the competition have passed without a single penalty being awarded. This rare phenomenon has drawn attention to the new refereeing approach in the tournament.

Genoa ended their streak during the match against Frosinone in the 4th round, after referee Antonio Rapuano awarded a penalty to Genoa following a VAR review, due to a handball by Frosinone defender Matteo Chitadini inside the penalty area.

Genoa failed to capitalize on the opportunity, as Lorenzo Colombo took the penalty but missed it by shooting the ball wide of the goal, leaving the historical record intact despite the hosts' inability to benefit from the first penalty awarded this season.

Interestingly, Genoa's penalty came at the same time as the first actual review via the VAR screen in Serie A this season, after previous matches had seen some 'silent checks' without the referee being called to the screen.

The referees' association has adopted a new approach aimed at reducing interventions and focusing only on clear and impactful situations.