Saudi Union Announces Urgent Amendments to Competition Regulations

The Saudi Football Federation has made significant amendments to the competition regulations ahead of the new season of the Saudi league, as well as the Super Cup held in Hong Kong, following Al Hilal's withdrawal from participation.

The Saudi sports newspaper highlighted that the amendments included the addition of a new Article 9 related to withdrawal, which includes 4 clauses and 7 detailed provisions, granting the federation the right to demand the withdrawing club to pay compensation for the damages and losses resulting from its withdrawal.

The amendments also stipulated the submission of a supplementary report in case match officials needed more time to document the events, with the report to be submitted to the Disciplinary and Ethics Committees and the Competitions Committee before 11 AM the day following the match.

It was confirmed that teams would continue to receive reports from referees and observers electronically immediately after each match, with copies sent to the relevant committees within just two hours of the match's conclusion, to enhance transparency and precise monitoring of events.

Additionally, the new amendments abolished the previous version approved in December 2024, marking the third amendment since Yasser Al-Mashal took over the presidency of the federation in 2019, and came after the crisis of Al Hilal's withdrawal from the Super Cup, which was considered a violation warranting financial penalties and exclusion from the next edition.