The Spanish Super Cup eliminates extra time: Straight to penalties in case of a tie
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has announced a significant change in the format of the Spanish Super Cup, both for men and women. From now on, if a match ends in a tie after the 90 minutes of regulation time, there will be no extra time, and the winner will be decided directly through a penalty shootout.
This change, approved by the RFEF's Delegate Commission, responds to the need to reduce the physical load on players, something that clubs had been requesting insistently. The elimination of extra time follows the trend already adopted in competitions such as the Copa del Rey and the Copa Federación and is in line with what is happening in other international tournaments.
In recent editions of the Super Cup, several matches went beyond regulation time, including the semifinals in 2023 and 2024, where games were decided in extra time or even penalties. With the new format, the aim is to lighten the calendar and avoid the additional fatigue that extra time brings, prioritizing a quick decision through penalties when no winner is determined in the 90 minutes.
This adjustment marks a turning point in Spanish football, lightens the teams' schedules, and ensures that matches are resolved more quickly.
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