Rio de Janeiro - The Uruguayan football association (AFU) has told football's world governing body FIFA it intends to appeal the ban on Luis Suarez.
FIFA spokesperson Delia Fischer said a written declaration of an intention to appeal was received by FIFA on Friday evening.
The Uruguayan association has until Sunday, July 6 to give the reasons for its appeal.
Under FIFA regulations, an intention to appeal must come within three days of any sanctions ruling, and a further seven days is allowed to appeal in writing after the first deadline has expired, Fischer said.
How long FIFA's appeal committee will take to rule on Uruguay's appeal is unclear but the appeal cannot lead to Suarez's nine-match, four-month suspension being lifted pending any decision, Fischer said.
"There is not a precise timeline for the appeal committee on this. They always try to do it in the quickest possible way," she said.
Suarez was sanctioned on Thursday by FIFA's disciplinary committee for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini in the shoulder during the teams' World Cup game on Tuesday.
It was a third such offence by the 27-year-old striker following club football incidents while playing for Ajax and Liverpool which led to lengthy bans.