New rules from the CBF to speed up games in the Brazilian Serie A and B will not be applied in Serie C. The measure, inspired by the World Cup, aims to increase active playing time but leaves lower divisions out.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed the adoption of a new set of rules to bring more fluidity to national football matches. Inspired by the guidelines used in the last World Cup, the changes promise to increase effective playing time by combating time-wasting and lost time.
However, the initiative will not cover all competitions immediately, leaving out Serie C and D of the Brazilian Championship.
The highest governing body of Brazilian football opted to implement the new regulations only in the Brazilian Serie A and B, in addition to the Copa do Brasil and the Women’s Serie A1. The exclusion of the lower divisions, which are already underway, has raised questions, as the technical justification for the decision has not been publicly disclosed by the CBF.
Player’s Outburst: “Rules Should Be Applied”
The CBF‘s decision has generated reactions among athletes. Felipe Albuquerque, right-back for Caxias, advocated for the extension of the new standards to the Third Division.
Felipe Albuquerque stated:
I think the rules should be applied, especially when we play at home. Sometimes we fall behind on the scoreboard, and the game becomes very fragmented.
Albuquerque recalled the fluidity observed in World Cup matches thanks to the new regulations and highlighted the importance of implementing them in Serie C and other divisions of the Brazilian Championship as well.
The player concluded:
It would be extremely important to implement them in Serie C and the other divisions of the Brazilian Championship as well. I don’t know what the plan is for next year, but I see it would be fundamental for us to have more active playing time.
Ambitious Goal: Aiming for 60 Minutes of Active Play
The main objective of the new guidelines is to increase the time the ball is in play, which currently falls short of the target set by FIFA. In 2026, the average active playing time in the Brazilian Serie A was just under 53 minutes, well below the ideal 60 minutes.
Although the main European leagues also do not reach this mark – with averages between 54 and 56 minutes – the expectation of the CBF‘s refereeing committee is that the adoption of the new rules could add approximately 5 minutes and 49 seconds of active time per match in Brazilian football. The measure aims to make the spectacles more dynamic and attractive to fans.
By Equipe M360
