New guidelines will soon be introduced to better regulate Florence’s calcio storico when it returns. A committee of four—Luciano Artusi, Federico Bagattini, Eugenio Giani and Michele Pierguidi—worked on developing the new rules, which aim to keep violence at bay. For the measures to be implemented and the tradition to be relaunched, Mayor Dario Nardella’s approval is still needed.
The first significant change is the abolition of ‘testa a testa’ fighting, which allowed for one-on-one altercations. This was determined to be detrimental to the game, since it led to frequent fight outbreaks that stalled plays and overall match progress. Another key change is that referees will be given more decisive power. In recent years, particularly violent players refusing to leave the arena, even when called out for their actions, has been a consistent issue. If any calciante’s actions are deemed unacceptable, referees will flash a yellow card as a warning. If the player then continues the behavior or refuses to comply with the referee’s requests, this will result in a red card, signaling expulsion. Referees will be permitted to put the entire match on hold until the player in question exits the arena. If the problems continue, penalties will be tripled for both the athlete and his team.
Another modification to the rules aims to ‘keep the ball rolling,’ so to speak. If the team in possession of the ball has not crossed midfield within three minutes, they must do so in order to keep the match moving and prevent excessive fights from breaking out.
Other noteworthy changes being introduced include an overall reduction of players (27 to 21) and a new regulation on residency. Beginning in 2016, calcio storico participation will be limited to those born in Florence or resident for at least one year.
