New rules inspired by the World Cup promise more fluidity and increased active playing time in Serie A, B, and the Copa do Brasil. However, the Brazilian Serie C will be excluded from the CBF initiative.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has announced the implementation of a package of nine rules, already used in the latest World Cup, aimed at making matches more dynamic across the country. The measure, which seeks to increase the active playing time and combat time-wasting, will apply to Serie A and B of the Brazilian Championship, the Copa do Brasil, and the Women’s Serie A1.
However, competitions with lower visibility, such as Serie C and D, which are currently underway, have been left out of the initial project. The CBF did not provide a clear technical justification for the exclusion of these divisions.
Players call for inclusion in the third division
The decision by the country’s football governing body has caused dissatisfaction. Caxias right-back Felipe Albuquerque advocated for the application of the new rules in Serie C as well. According to the player, the measure is essential to increase the actual playing time, which is often hindered by interruptions.
Albuquerque commented:
I think the rules should definitely be applied, especially when we play at home. Sometimes we fall behind on the scoreboard, and the game ends up being very fragmented.
He emphasized that the fluidity seen in World Cup matches, thanks to the new standards, would be beneficial for the lower divisions of national football.
The goal is to increase active playing time
The average active playing time in Brazil has been a constant concern. In the Brazilian Serie A, the average ball-in-play time in 2026 was 52 minutes and 54 seconds, a figure far from the ideal 60 minutes established by FIFA.
Although none of the major European leagues reach this goal—with averages ranging between 54 and 56 minutes—the CBF refereeing commission expects the new guidelines to result in an average gain of approximately 5 minutes and 49 seconds of active play per game. The initiative, therefore, seeks to improve the quality of the football spectacle in the country.
