CBF and clubs back new rules in Brazilian football | OneFootball

On Monday (10), the CBF held its third meeting with clubs from Série A and Série B of the Brasileirão at a hotel in Barra da Tijuca (Rio de Janeiro) to create the Brazilian Football League. The meeting defined the immediate adoption of new refereeing rules, many of them already in force at the World Cup, for all divisions of the Brasileirão, the Copa do Brasil, and Women’s A1.

The meeting marked the beginning of a round of discussions to draft new regulations for the 2027 season, addressing proposals for refereeing, an area that will receive R$ 200 million in investment between 2026 and 2027.

With revenue of 1.8 billion euros in the 2024/2025 season, the Brasileirão is still far behind leagues such as the Premier League (7.5 billion), La Liga (5.7 billion), and the Bundesliga (5.5 billion), for example. Aware that Brazilian football is currently an undervalued product, both from a sporting and commercial standpoint, the CBF has been taking a series of measures to change this picture. In this context, modernizing the regulations emerges as a starting point for the improvements Brazilian football needs.

CBF president Samir Xaud highlighted that the entity is once again calling on clubs and federations to deliberate on structural changes in Brazilian footballCredits: Luciana Vermell / CBF

CBF president Samir Xaud stressed that these changes need to be made in agreement with the key players in Brazilian football.

“This is another meeting that, as is the practice of this administration, is based on dialogue and takes place democratically. Today we are kicking off this series of five meetings to discuss new regulations, including the implementation of rules that have already been used at the World Cup. It is part of the restructuring of Brazilian football. This is everyone’s mission: the CBF, the clubs, the federations, each doing their part,” he said.

Gustavo Dias Henrique, CBF vice president: "We are investing millions in equipment and training for refereeing"Credits: Luciana Vermell / CBF

Gustavo Dias Henrique, CBF vice president, stressed that patience is a fundamental component for progress to become reality.

“Changes in refereeing are difficult, require time, and need mechanisms to get where we want to go. We are investing millions in equipment and training, and everything will not change overnight. We need the clubs and the executives in this process,” he said.

One of the issues the CBF is trying to address is increasing effective playing time in matches. In partnership with the CBF Academy, the entity brought together its technical staff to understand the factors that could lead to a higher average. This led to the report “Effective Playing Time in Brazilian Football,” with an unprecedented diagnosis of the issue, based on data provided by OPTA Stats Perform.

In 2026, up to the break for the World Cup, the average effective playing time in Brasileirão Série A was 52 minutes and 54 seconds, far from FIFA’s target of 60 minutes of active play. It is worth noting that none of the major world leagues reaches that mark: the Premier League records 55:23, Ligue 1 56:17 (the same as the Bundesliga), La Liga 55:09, and Serie A 54:28 (data considering the 2026 season).

Comparing other Brazilian football data with that of the main global leagues, the study identifies ways to recover approximately 6 minutes and 22 seconds of effective playing time per match by adjusting factors such as foul calls, the time taken to restart play, the duration of medical treatment, and VAR and semi-automated offside checks.

Netto Góes, CBF refereeing director, believes the approved changes can recover minutes of effective playing time in Brazilian footballCredits: Luciana Vermell / CBF

“We started from the data to understand where the main interruptions are and what we can do to improve the game. The study shows that there is room to recover more than six minutes of effective playing time per match, and our job is to turn this diagnosis into concrete actions. This involves applying the new rules, standardizing criteria, and training referees, but it also depends on the participation of clubs and players. The goal is to have a more fluid game, with fewer interruptions and more football,” said Netto Góes, CBF refereeing director.

At this meeting, the CBF proposed to the clubs the adoption of the new IFAB rules, applied at the 2026 World Cup, in Brazilian football starting this current season (the deadline for adopting the new rules would be 2028). FIFA estimates that the new set of rules could add another 5 minutes and 49 seconds of play to each match.

Among the measures presented are an eight-second limit for goalkeepers to hold the ball in their hands, with a corner awarded to the opposing team in case of an infringement; time limits for throw-ins, goal kicks, and substitutions; a requirement to remain off the field for one minute for players treated on the pitch; adoption of the principle that only the captain may speak to the referee in certain situations; and expanded possibilities for VAR intervention. According to the estimate presented by the CBF, the set of measures seen at the World Cup could represent an average gain of 5 minutes and 49 seconds of play per match.

The next technical council meeting is scheduled for September 14 and will deal with competition organization.

Learn about the new rules:

1. Eight seconds with the ball in hand

A goalkeeper who exceeds the limit concedes a corner to the opposing team.

2. Five seconds for a throw-in

The count begins as soon as the player has the ball in hand.

3. Five seconds to take a goal kick

The referee blows the whistle and counts five seconds. If the goalkeeper exceeds the time, a corner is awarded to the opposing team.

4. Ten seconds to leave the field during substitutions

The substituted player must leave by the nearest point quickly, without walking slowly.

5. One minute off after treatment

A player treated on the pitch will need to leave and must remain off for one minute.

6. After treatment to the goalkeeper, one outfield player stays off for one minute

The coach or captain indicates who will serve the one minute off.

7. Only the captain speaks to the referee

A single interlocutor for each team throughout the match.

8. Covering the mouth during an argument: red card (Vini Jr Protocol)

Intentionally covering the mouth while arguing with an opponent will be considered conduct punishable by dismissal.

9. VAR check for issuing a second yellow card

A card resulting in a sending-off will now be reviewable by VAR.

10. VAR check for a corner wrongly awarded (approved for 2027)

Reviewable when it directly leads to a goal or penalty.

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