New Serie A rules force Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie to adapt

Serie A has rolled out a suite of rule changes aimed at speeding up matches and cutting stoppage time, meaning that American internationals Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie will face new on‑field constraints when they line up for Milan and Juventus.

One of the biggest adjustments concerns the time allotted for players to leave the pitch after a substitution. A substituted player must exit within 10 seconds of the substitution board being shown, and when multiple changes are made simultaneously the countdown starts when the final board appears.

Time‑wasting rules tightened

Throw‑ins and goal kicks are also under tighter scrutiny. Players now have five seconds to restart play, and if a goalkeeper takes longer than five seconds for a goal kick the opposition is awarded a corner.

Injury treatment has been regulated as well: any player receiving on‑field care must remain off the field for one minute after play resumes, although goalkeepers are exempt from this rule.

Only the designated captain may approach the referee for questions or complaints. "The captain will be the figure representing the club on the pitch, and the referee will only refer to them," explained referee Daniele Orsato during the briefing attended by all 20 Serie A clubs.

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How the changes affect American stars

Christian Pulisic enters another important Serie A campaign with Milan, hoping to rediscover his best form after a difficult second half of last season. The American winger scored 10 Serie A goals before the turn of the year but then endured a prolonged scoring drought.

Weston McKennie arrives at Juventus after posting the best numbers of his Juventus career, recording nine goals and six assists in 52 appearances last campaign. His versatility across positions could make him especially vulnerable to the new substitution and injury‑management rules.

Both players are key figures for the United States men’s national team, and the new Serie A regulations could influence their preparation for upcoming international duties as they adapt to a quicker tempo and fewer opportunities to slow the game down.

VAR also receives expanded powers under the new framework. Video officials can now intervene in cases of mistaken identity involving a first yellow card and in clearly incorrect second‑yellow decisions that lead to a sending‑off, while still being urged to focus on clear errors only. "Many of the changes introduced will concern situations where play is stopped, with the aim of increasing the effective playing time of matches, making games even more dynamic and spectacular," said Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo.