The commission that oversees US presidential debates says it will change the format to ensure the remaining two encounters between Donald Trump and Joe Biden are more orderly.
One new measure could be cut the microphones if candidates try to interrupt each other, US media reports.
The announcement comes after Tuesday’s ill-tempered debate that descended into squabbling, bickering and insults.
President Trump’s team has already criticized the commission’s plans.
The tone and tactics of the first presidential debate were criticized across the US and around the world.
The fallout, however, has also been dominated by Trump’s refusal in the debate to explicitly condemn a far-right group called the Proud Boys.
In the debate on Tuesday, the two candidates were given two minutes to answer moderator questions, before being allowed to address each other’s response.
However, President Trump continuously interrupted Biden leading to a series of chaotic exchanges in which both men talked over each other.
The Commission on Presidential Debated (CPD) – a nonpartisan body that has organized presidential debates since 1988 – said it would soon announce new measures to help moderators “maintain order” in the remaining two debates.
It said the first debate had “made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues”.
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