VAR to be used in every Paulistão Feminino match for first time | OneFootball

Video refereeing will be used in all matches of the Paulista Women’s Championship for the first time. The implementation of VAR in 100% of the games was confirmed this Thursday during the Technical Council meeting held at the Pelé Building, headquarters of the São Paulo Football Federation (FPF), in the city of São Paulo.

With this new development, the state tournament becomes the first in Brazilian women’s football to feature the technological resource in all of its matches. The FPF will take full responsibility for the operating costs. Until the 2025 edition, the use of VAR was limited to the final stages, being applied only from the semifinals onward.

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In addition to the introduction of the technology, the competition format has also undergone major changes. The clubs unanimously approved a new format. The first stage will be played in a single round-robin format, with seven rounds in total. At the end of this stage, the top two teams will advance directly to the semifinals.

The teams finishing between third and sixth place will play a knockout round in home-and-away matchups to determine the other two semifinalists. Both the semifinals and the championship final will also be played over two legs.

The 2026 edition will feature eight teams: Corinthians, Ferroviária, Mirassol, Palmeiras, Red Bull Bragantino, Santos, São Paulo, and Taubaté. The competition is scheduled to begin in early May, with the final set for December, following the women’s football calendar announced earlier.

The participating clubs were defined according to the Licensing Regulation criteria, which establish administrative, sporting, and structural requirements for a place in the state’s top division.

Another highlight for the next edition is the significant increase in financial investment. With the new format, there will be a 64% increase in the average amount paid per match to the clubs. In total, R$ 3 million will be distributed in quotas and prize money, with the champion receiving R$ 1.04 million.

In addition to the Paulista Championship, Corinthians will also have a busy schedule this season, with competitions in the Brazilian Championship, the Copa do Brasil, and the Libertadores. At the start of the year, the team finished as runner-up in both the Copa das Campeãs and the Brazilian Super Cup.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.