CONMEBOL Moves to Boost Actual Playing Time

According to information released by Doble Amarilla, the South American Football Confederation will implement a series of measures to reduce interruptions and increase actual playing time across all its competitions. The aim is to promote a more dynamic, competitive and appealing style of football, grounded in sportsmanship and fair play.

The initiative, overseen by the Competitions and Operations Directorate, seeks to discourage intentional delays and raise the pace of matches. This will involve stricter enforcement of rules against unnecessary stoppages, including sanctions for those who deliberately slow the restart of play. The move also calls for cooperation from officials, players, coaching staff, referees and fans.

Priorities include reducing stoppages due to substitutions or medical treatment, improving time management to get as close as possible to 90 minutes of actual play, and ensuring that the decisive stages of the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana are contested with greater fluidity. “With less time wasted there will be more play, with more play comes greater demands, and this increases the appeal of matches and tournaments, benefiting clubs and associations,” the body stated in its release.