Country Brazil Founded September 18, 2013 Level on pyramid 1 | Confederation CONMEBOL Number of teams 16 (2017) | |
Relegation to Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A2 | ||
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino is an annual Brazilian women's club football tournament organized by the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol, or CBF. It is the country's premier women's football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, seasons typically run from September to December.
Contents
History
Brazil had a tournament called Taça Brasil de Futebol Feminino (Women's Football Brazil Trophy, in English) played between 1983 and 1989, followed by Torneio Nacional (1990 and 1991) and Taça Brasil de Clubes (1993). A competition also named Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino which was a forerunner of the current tournament, was founded in 1994, ran that season, was cancelled in 1995 and re-instated in 1996 being played until 2001. When it folded, the country was left with only state football leagues for women available in few states and no national tournament.
In 2006, another national tournament attempt was made, organized by the Amateur Paulista Football Federation (Federação Paulista de Futebol Amador, FPFA) and the National Football League (Liga Nacional de Futebol, LINAF), it was called Taça Brasil de Futebol Feminino. The tournament was contested in Jaguariúna, São Paulo state on its first year (2006) and in multiple towns of Rio de Janeiro state on its second year (2007).
In 2007, CBF created the Copa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino, a national cup competition and in 2013 a national short tournament league was founded, the Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino with its current format, with a short three month season. In 2015, teams at least in the knock-out rounds got about USD 3,000 for a home and away leg plus air or road transport cost paid.
Format
Up to 2016 20 teams took part in the competition. In the first round there were four groups of five teams that play each other within the group once. The top two of each group move on. In the second round eight teams were put into two groups of four. Teams play each other twice and the top two teams move to the two leg semi-finals, with the winners moving to the two leg final.
In 2017 the league was restructured and the first level, now called Série A1, will have 16 teams in one group. After playing each other the top 8 teams move to the play-offs. There is also relegation/promotion to the new Série A2, which will also have 16 teams split in two groups of eight teams.