For the 2025-2026 season, Serie A opted for an orange winter ball, introduced during the 12th day on November 22 and 23. This choice, intended to stand out by its “strong and unique impact on the ground”replaced the traditional white or yellow balloons, but quickly sparked controversy. The reason for this is its color which is difficult to distinguish against the green of the lawn, especially for color blind people. “We have received numerous justified complaints on this subject. Some people are colorblind and therefore cannot see the ball. We have asked our supplier to bring forward the delivery of the new balloons, their production has started, but it will take some time before we can replace these orange balloons”declared the president of the Italian championship, Ezio Simonelli, on Radio Anch’io Sportin comments reported by Sky Italia.
The return to traditional balloons was welcomed by the Aidacon Consumatori association and its president Carlo Claps: “Many supporters felt that their consumer rights had been violated, particularly those who had taken out expensive annual subscriptions to television channels. Our requests have finally been heard; it was intolerable that the Italian Football League ignored its audience’s need for inclusion and quality viewing, thus causing financial and moral harm to subscribers. » Come vedono i daltonici, another association, had also alerted to the problem. Its president Stefano De Pietro explained: “It’s especially difficult for those who suffer from a form of color blindness called deuteranopia (the most common type). These people are almost incapable of distinguishing shades of green. For them, green, red and yellow often blend into one color. So try to imagine what such a person sees when an orange ball rolls on a green lawn. »
