In these Regulations, capitalised terms shall have the meaning provided to them below, unless the context indicates otherwise.

• Accreditation card: A card, or its equivalent, issued by SPL which grants its holder the right to be present inside the stadium.

• AFC :Asian Football Confederation

• After the Match: The time between the match's end whistle, the players' departure, and the officials' departure outside the stadium premises.

• Before the Match: The time between the arrival of the Clubs players and officials at the stadium and the start whistle of the match.

• Board of Directors: Board of Directors of the SPL

• Champion: The winner of the SPL.

• Club: A sports establishment or company having an independent legal personality, officially licensed by the Ministry of Sport and approved by SAFF and SPL.

• Commercial Affiliate: Any entity which has been granted the right to exercise and exploit the Commercial Rights (or any part thereof) in respect to the Competition.

• Commercial Officer :The person appointed by SPL to handle all the match-day commercial and marketing matters and assist the SPL Match Officials and authorized service providers with their duties.

• Commercial Regulations :The SPL regulation adopted by the Board and ratified by SAFF, which is governing commercial and marketing activities, including sponsorship, player kits, ticketing, licensing (etc).

• Competition: Saudi Pro League (SPL)

• Competitions Department: The relevant Department in SPL that manages and organizes the Competition.

• Competition Period :The period of the SPL competition, according to the match schedule, starts with the first official match and ends with the conclusion of the last official match in the competition.

• Competition Regulations: SPL Competition Regulations

• Controlled Access Area Any:

• (i) Stadium;

• (ii) Official Training Site;

• (iii) official exclusion zone encircling a Stadium on a Match day;

• (iv) official parking area, accreditation centre, Broadcast Compound, and/or hospitality area;

• (v) venue of any Official Function;

• (vi) official SPL fan park;

• (vii) Facility Areas; and/or

• (viii) any other location and/or facility designated by the SPL as a Controlled Access Area, associated to the Competition wherein access is permitted only to those in possession of an Accreditation Card, Ticket, and/or other officiallysanctioned entry permit.

• Disciplinary and Ethics Code :SAFF Disciplinary and Ethics Code

• Disciplinary and Ethics Committee :SAFF Disciplinary and Ethics Committee

• During the Match: The time between the start whistle and the end whistle of the match.

• Field of Play: The green rectangle area as described in Law (1) in the Laws of the Game by IFAB.

• FIFA :Fédération Internationale de Football Association

• Force Majeure: Any unforeseeable emergency and beyond-control event that may stop, prevent, or suspend any match or competition, including without limitation adverse bad weather, floodlight failure, aviation conditions, and any other similar circumstances.

• Home/Hosting Club: The Club that plays at home and listed first in the Match Schedule.

• In-field: The area includes the green surface (the pitch) and the surrounding areas, such as the benches for the technical and administrative staff and players, the track, and the corridors leading to the changing rooms.

• KSA: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

• Laws of the Game: Laws of the game issued by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

• Match :A football Match held within the framework of the Competition, including postponed or repeated Matches. For the avoidance of doubt, a match formally commences when the Stadium is officially opened to spectators and formally concludes when the Stadium is officially closed to spectators.

• Match Director: The person appointed by SPL to handle Match-day administrative and operational matters, including registering players on the Match Starting List, verifying the players' and officials' accreditation cards, and recording disciplinary violations and monitoring other procedures before, during, and after the Match.

• Match Official : Referee, assistant referees, fourth referee, VAR referees, Match Director, Referee Assessor, Commercial Officer, Media Coordinator, security officer (also referred to as an Operations Coordinator in the relevant Ministry of Sport guidelines), and any person appointed by the SAFF or SPL with responsibilities related to the match.

• Match Schedule: The competition fixtures issued by Competition Department specify the dates, times, and stadiums of the Competition's matches.

• Match Start List :The list contains the starting Players, substitutes, and Officials working on the match, who are entitled to sit on the bench and be present inside the stadium.

• Media Coordinator: The person appointed by SPL to handle match-day media matters, organize press conference procedures, mixed zone, and TV interviews, and oversee them in coordination with the Match Director.

• Ministry of Sport Ministry of Sport of Saudi Arabia

• MOS Regulations: Any applicable regulations regarding the hosting of matches in the Competition issued by the Ministry of Sport.

• Official Training Sites :Any site designated by the Host Club and approved by the SPL for use by the Clubs for training purposes for the Competition.

• Referee :The person appointed by SAFF to referee and manage the match in the Competition and the assistant team approved by SAFF or the country's federation, where he is registered. The referee includes the main referee, the first assistant referee, the second assistant referee, the fourth referee, and the referees responsible for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology.

• Referee Assessor: The person appointed by SAFF to evaluate the performance of the Referees during the match from a technical perspective according to the Laws of the Game.

• Regulations :These SPL Operations Regulations.

• Off-field :The area extends from the outer end of the in-field to the stadium's outer walls, including parking lots, fan zones, inner and outer gates, restrooms, and restaurants.

• Official:  Any individual, aside from players, involved in football-related activities within SAFF, SPL, or a club, notwithstanding their role, duration, or nature of involvement (administrative, athletic, media, or otherwise), including administrative and technical staff, medical personnel, support staff, consultants, intermediaries, professional managers, members of management boards and honorary club members, as well as SPL affiliates from the Board of Directors, committees, contractors, collaborators, and SAFF's secretary, along with affiliated entities and associations.

• Persons Subject to the Regulation: Clubs, club officials, players, match officials, media, commercial, organizer entities, any person accredited by the SPL for a Match, and any person that attends a Match having accepted the ticketing terms and conditions.

• Player: A professional football player registered in any club affiliated with SAFF or SPL, registered to participate in SPL.

• SAFF :Saudi Arabia Football Federation

• Season: The consecutive 12-month period fixed by the SAFF during which its official competitions, such as the SPL, occur.

• SPL: Saudi Pro League

• SPLIS:  A smart software system for managing competition matches, through which a list of players and officials is registered, in addition to creating reports for referees and directors and listing match results, allows it to be used by all relevant parties.

• SPL Website: www.spl.com.sa

• SSAC :Saudi Sports Arbitration Center

• Stadium: 

  • Any stadium at which a Match is played. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes:

  • (i) the entire premises (to the extent that a valid Accreditation Card or Ticket is required in order to gain access) of a stadium facility inside the outer stadium perimeter fence and (on Match days and any day on which any official training takes place within the stadium), the aerial space above such stadium premises;

  • (ii) parking facilities;

  • (iii) VIP and hospitality areas;

  • (iv) concession areas;

  • (v) commercial display areas;

  • (vi) buildings;

  • (vii) the Field of Play;

  • (viii) the media tribune;

  • (ix) any Broadcast Compound;

  • (x) the stadium media centre;

  • (xi) the press conference room;

  • (xii) the mixed zone;

  • (xiii) any stands; and

  • (xiv) any areas beneath the stands.

• Statutes :SPL Statutes

• Team Official : An official of a Club registered to participate in the Competition.

• Team Sheet : The list of Club Officials representing the Club during the Competition Period and can be registered on the Match Starting List.

• Ticket : A pass providing access to a Stadium for the purpose of attending either a Match.

• Venue: The Host City and immediate surrounding area in which a Stadium is located.

• Visiting Club: The Club that plays away and listed second in the Match Schedule.

For the purposes of these Regulations, and provided the context so permits:

• (i) the singular shall include the plural and vice-versa;

• (ii) the feminine gender shall include the masculine and vice-versa;

• (iii) reference to natural persons shall include any legal person or corporation.

1. The association shall organize and manage all aspects related to the competition and supervise it, based on the delegation granted to it in accordance with the basic law of the federation.

2. This regulation stipulates the rights, duties, and responsibilities of the association, the federation, and the participants (clubs, officials, and players) in the competition.

3. This regulation and all regulations, laws, decisions, instructions, and circulars issued by the association related to the competition are binding on all individuals subject to this regulation.

4. The operational regulation is an integral part of this regulation and is binding on all participating parties and those related to the operational and organizational processes hosting the competition matches. In the event of any discrepancy between the provisions of this regulation and the operational regulation, the provisions of this regulation shall prevail.

5. Any commercial and ownership rights related to the competition that have not been granted under this regulation or any of the association's other regulations to a specific entity shall remain the property of the association.

6. Any reference to the basic law of the federation or the association or any of its regulations refers to those laws and regulations in effect at the time of application.

1. The Association is responsible for the following matters:

• 1.1 Organizing, managing, and supervising the operational processes of the competition.

• 2.1 Organizing, managing, and supervising the exploitation of the commercial and marketing rights of the competition.

• 3.1 Organizing and managing media affairs and production and broadcasting matters related to the competition.

• 4.1 Licensing clubs to participate in the competition.

• 5.1 Appointing match officials affiliated with the Association for each match.

• 6.1 Considering cases of suspension or cancellation of matches or withdrawal from them.

• 7.1 Issuing identification cards for clubs, their affiliates, match officials, and representatives of licensed entities.

• 8.1 Providing the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Federation with reports on cases involving disciplinary violations.

• 9.1 Travel, transfer, accommodation, food costs, and all other expenses related to the officials of the Association.

• 10.1 Selecting the approved design of the competition ball and providing it to all participants in the competition.

• 11.1 Approving proposals related to the development of the competition.

• 12.1 Any other responsibilities and authorities stipulated in this regulation or any other regulation related to the competition.

2. The Federation is responsible for the following matters:

• 1.2 Approving the list of clubs promoted to and relegated from the Saudi Professional League annually, and making decisions regarding the replacement of any club that is not qualified to participate or has withdrawn from the Saudi Professional League.

• 2.2 Approving the registration of players conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Professional and Player Status Regulation of the Federation and FIFA, during the summer and/or winter transfer periods approved by the Federation after completing all regulatory procedures, provided that this approval is done in the electronic system.

• 3.2 Considering and adjudicating disciplinary cases through the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee in accordance with the provisions of the Disciplinary and Ethics Regulation.

• 4.2 Monitoring the integrity of the competition and matters related to clubs with shared ownership in accordance with the applicable regulations related to it.

• 5.2 Appointing referees and referee assessors for each match.

• 6.2 Bearing the costs of travel, transfer, accommodation, food, and all other expenses related to match referees and referee assessors.

1. The Competitions Department of the association is responsible for the daily operations of managing and organizing the competition.

2. The Director of the Competitions Department is appointed based on their local or international experience in organizing sports competitions, and must be a full-time employee of the association under the direct supervision of the Chief Executive Officer.

1. The Competitions Administration supervises the course of the competition and its preparation before its commencement.

2. The Competitions Administration may seek the assistance of any experts (whether from the association or outside it) for consultation on the matters presented.

3. All decisions issued by the Competitions Administration are final and not subject to contestation, including decisions related to the competition schedule or the rescheduling of matches.

4. Decisions of the Competitions Administration regarding the loss of a match due to its cancellation or suspension, or concerning the adjustment of the final ranking schedule, may be contested by submitting a written request to the Board of Directors within forty-eight (48) hours from the time the decision is issued, and the decision of the Board of Directors in this regulation is final and not subject to appeal.

Each participating club is obligated, including but not limited to, the following:

• 1. To observe all obligations stipulated in the basic regulations of the federation and the association, and all regulations, decisions, instructions, and circulars issued by the association and the federation, including but not limited to, the commercial regulation, operational regulation, media regulations for matches, and the production and broadcasting regulation.

• 2. To adhere to and comply with the laws of the game as stipulated by the International Football Association Board and as adopted by the federation or the association accordingly.

• 3. To comply with the regulations of the International Football Federation and the Asian Football Confederation, particularly regarding player statuses and transfers.

• 4. To comply with the administrative, disciplinary, and arbitration decisions related to the competition, which are resolved by the federation and/or the association in accordance with the regulations governing the jurisdiction of each.

• 5. To achieve all professional standards specified in the club licensing regulation of the Asian Football Confederation and the association, ensuring no conflict between local and Asian requirements.

• 6. To participate in the competitions of the Asian Football Confederation for which it qualifies based on its sports results and obtaining a participation license from the association.

• 7. To respect all commercial and organizational contracts concluded by the association related to the competition.

• 8. To acknowledge the powers and decisions of the Sports Arbitration Center and to commit to implementing all of them.

• 9. To observe the principles of fair play and sportsmanship.

• 10. To ensure that no unauthorized persons are present inside the stadium and changing rooms, in addition to the designated technical areas in each stadium.

• 11. To bear responsibility for the conduct of its players, officials, fans, and any person representing the club throughout the competition.

• 12. To ensure that none of its players or officials participate in any activity that may harm or affect the integrity of the competition, and any activity that is offensive to the values, sports ethics, and public morals applicable within the Kingdom.

• 13. To submit the match starting list and the official list of officials in accordance with the procedures and times stipulated in this regulation.

• 14. To accept all arrangements made by the association and/or the federation.

• 15. To ensure the attendance and participation of all relevant players and officials in all official activities and events organized by the association, including but not limited to any technical or organizational meeting, celebrations, and all media activities in accordance with the media regulations.

• 16. To provide the association within the period specified by it with statistics and images of the players and officials affiliated with the club, as well as information related to the club, and any other data requested by the association, and the association may refrain from issuing related cards and necessary permits for entering the stadiums for each violator in addition to referring the matter to the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee.

• 17. In the event of an official award ceremony organized by the association, all selected players and officials must attend the ceremony, and the club bears responsibility if any of them fail to attend.

• 18. To comply with all match protocols specified in the operational regulations.