Conmebol announces 5 new Libertadores rules, ignores ‘Vini Jr law’ | OneFootball

New developments follow the path used by FIFA at the World Cup

Conmebol announced on Tuesday (14) that it will adopt the new football rules approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) starting with the resumption of South American competitions in July. The new measures will directly affect tournaments such as the Libertadores, played by Flamengo, and the Copa Sudamericana. However, one of the most talked-about changes was left out: the so-called “Vini Jr Law“.

The rule, which provides for the sending-off of players who cover their mouths during discussions on the field, will not be used by the South American governing body. As a result, matches organized by Conmebol will continue without this rule, unlike what happened at the 2026 World Cup.

WHAT ARE THE FIVE CHANGES?

WHY WILL CONMEBOL NOT USE THE ‘VINI JR LAW’?

The so-called “Vini Jr Law” gained attention after an incident involving former Flamengo forward Vinicius Junior and Prestianni of Benfica (POR) during a Champions League match. Following that case, IFAB authorized competitions to send off players who covered their mouths while speaking to opponents or the refereeing team. On that occasion, the Argentine player was accused of racism by the Real Madrid (ESP) winger.

Even though it is not being used in South American competitions, the rule ended up being applied at the 2026 World Cup. Paraguayan player Almirón was the first to be sent off for this reason, still in the group stage. Later, Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapié also received a red card for the same offense during the knockout stage.

SO, WHICH CHANGES WILL APPLY IN CONMEBOL TOURNAMENTS?

The changes approved by IFAB are mainly aimed at reducing time-wasting and increasing effective playing time. One of the new rules establishes that throw-ins taken deliberately slowly will have a five-second limit after the referee’s signal. If the player exceeds that period, possession will automatically be awarded to the opposing team.

The same will happen with goal kicks. If the goalkeeper or another player delays the restart, the referee will begin a countdown. If the time limit is exceeded, the opposing team will be awarded a corner kick.

SO, WHAT HAPPENS WITH SUBSTITUTIONS AND RETURNING AFTER TREATMENT?

Another important change involves substitutions. The substituted player will have only ten seconds to leave the pitch. If there is an unjustified delay, the player coming on will have to wait one minute before entering the match, meaning the team will temporarily be a player short.

Players who receive medical treatment off the field will also have to wait at least 60 seconds before returning to the game. The exception applies only to clear injury cases, when the player is unable to leave the pitch immediately.

WILL VAR ALSO HAVE NEW FUNCTIONS, THEN?

In short, the video referee has also been given new responsibilities. In addition to goals, penalties, straight red cards, and mistaken identity incidents, VAR will be able to correct clearly incorrect corner-kick decisions, as long as the review does not delay the restart of play.

In addition, the technology will be able to alert the refereeing team when a second yellow card is incorrectly shown, preventing send-offs caused by objective error. The changes come into effect in Conmebol competitions starting this month and become part of the regulations of tournaments such as the Libertadores, a competition in which Flamengo is competing in search of another continental title.

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