Confirmed: Serie A will change colour of controversial winter ball – reason revealed

Lega Serie A President Ezio Simonelli has confirmed that the league has taken steps to replace the controversial and non-inclusive orange winter ball that has been used in recent weeks. 

Serie A moved away from the traditional yellow ball that is typically used in the winter in an attempt to ensure maximum visibility in adverse weather conditions. 

However, what was not considered at the time is the fact that the new orange ball, the Puma Orbita Hi-Vis to be precise, is practically impossible for those with colour-blindness to see. 

Simonelli, speaking in a recent interview on Rai Radio 1, confirmed that the league have taken steps to revert back to a more traditional colour. He has warned that this will not be an immediate switch due to the complicated manufacturing process. 

“We’ve received a lot of justified protests about this, there are some who can’t see it due to colour-blindness,” Simonelli explained (via La Gazzetta dello Sport). 

“We’ve asked our supplier to prepare a supply of new balls,” he confirmed. “For every game, you need 25 balls. That’s 500 a week, not including the ones we give to every team for training. 

“They’ve put the new balls into production with a colour that is more visible, but it will take a little while before the orange one can be replaced. We will go back to yellow or white,” he confirmed. 

The orange Puma Orbita Hi-Vis ball has been in use in Serie A since the 12th round of 2025-26 fixtures, which began with Bologna’s 3-0 victory away against Udinese on November 22. It has been used for five rounds of league fixtures since then.