The award was created on August 16, 1945 by the now defunct [[Conselho Nacional de Desportos|Brazilian National Sports Council]], and instituted on January 1, 1946<ref name="placar 191">{{cite journal |title=Camisa 12 |journal=[[Placar]] |date=November 9, 1973 |page=46 |publisher=Editora Abril}}</ref>, and it is given to the amateur or professional footballers<ref name="placar 191" /> who completed at least two hundred games in at least a ten-year career without being booked with a red card.<ref name="enciclopedialance" />. Those players were awarded with a certificate, a medal and a card granting free entrance to every stadium in Brazil.<ref name="placar1160">{{cite journal |title=Onde anda o Prêmio Belfort Duarte |journal=[[Placar]] |date=February 2000 |page=23 |publisher=Editora Abril}}</ref> After being deactivated for a few years, the award was given again, starting on May 18, 1995, by the [[Brazilian Football Confederation|CBF]]. However, the organization only granted the award to retired players. This measure aimed to prevent situations like of the full back [[Everaldo Marques da Silva|Everaldo]] (world champion with the [[Brazil national football team|Brazilian team]] in [[1970 FIFA World Cup|1970]]), who three months after winning the award punched a referee and was suspended for a year.<ref name="placar1160" />
