Brazil’s chamber approves new rules for women’s football; see | OneFootball

First of all, the Chamber of Deputies approved Bill 4,578/2025, submitted by the Executive Branch, which sets guidelines for women’s soccer, with a focus on professionalization, equality between teams, and protection for athletes.

The approved text defines the development of women’s soccer as a priority of public sports policy and assigns the Ministry of Sports the task of promoting the sport. The proposal now moves to the Federal Senate for review.

The bill’s rapporteur, Congresswoman Jackeline Rocha (PT-ES), highlighted in her report that Brazil’s hosting of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup is one of the factors that increases the importance of the proposal.

“The proposal represents an important instrument for adopting a long-term strategy aimed at overcoming the inequalities historically imposed on women’s soccer,” the lawmaker wrote.

Limit for non-professional athletes

One of the main changes proposed concerns the participation of non-professional players in national competitions. In the top division of Brazilian soccer, each team may register up to four athletes under this status.

In the other national divisions and in the top state division, for example, each team may have up to six non-professional players. The limit will be gradually reduced until the competitions are fully professionalized.

Equality between teams included in the bill

The bill also provides for measures to bring the conditions offered to women’s teams closer to the structures provided for men’s teams. Organizations must guarantee women the same equipment and support staff used by the men’s teams.

Another change requires women’s teams within organizations that train soccer athletes. The proposal also expands women’s participation in management, officiating, and technical leadership, in addition to providing for a plan for the legacy of the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

Maternity protection and combating violence

The bill also includes guarantees related to athletes’ pregnancy and motherhood. The text mandates “unrestricted” respect for the rights of pregnant women and for conditions related to motherhood.

It also establishes protocols against discrimination, racism, intolerance, and violence against women, as well as measures to encourage equal pay and to publish competition calendars earlier.

Chamber also approved cultural recognition

In the same session, lawmakers approved Bill 1,842/2025, authored by Congressman Helio Lopes (PL-RJ), which recognizes soccer played in Brazil as a manifestation of national culture. The text was approved with amendments and sent to the Senate.

In the justification for the original proposal, Helio Lopes wrote:

“Soccer is one of the most significant expressions of Brazilian culture, playing a central role in the construction of national identity and social cohesion, transcending the sporting field to influence music, literature, cinema, and various other artistic and cultural expressions.”

The bill also provides for actions by the Executive Branch to safeguard and promote women’s soccer “as an expression of national identity, ensuring the right to memory and the preservation of this practice.”

Both proposals now depend on Senate review to move forward in the legislative process. In the case of Bill 4,578/2025, the new guidelines do not yet replace the rules currently in force in women’s soccer.

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