The meanings of the following words and phrases, wherever they appear in this Regulation, are as defined next to each of them, and references to the singular apply to the plural and vice versa, unless the context requires otherwise:

• 1/ 1 The Kingdom: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

• 1/ 2 The Federation: The Saudi Football Federation.

• 1/ 3 The President of the Federation: The President of the Saudi Football Federation.

• 1/ 4 The Council: The Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Federation.

• 1/ 5 The Laws and Regulations: The basic law, regulations, circulars, and other directives issued by the Saudi Football Federation and sports associations, as well as the laws of the game.

• 1/ 6 The Laws of the Game: The laws issued by the legislative council of the International Football Association IFAB.

• 1/ 7 The Regulation: The competition regulation for the Women's Football League 21-22.

• 1/ 8 The Committee: The Competitions Committee of the Saudi Football Federation.

• 1/ 9 The League: The Women's Football League organized by the Saudi Football Federation.

• 1/ 10 The Organizing Body: The body or bodies assigned by the Saudi Football Federation to organize the league and handle its matters.

• 1/ 11 The Team: The team recognized under the umbrella of the federation and permitted to play.

• 1/ 12 The Game: The game of football.

• 1/ 13 The Referee: Anyone who officiates football matches or assists in officiating them, provided they are officially recognized by the federation to officiate league matches.

• 1/ 14 The Match Observer: The person appointed by the federation to handle the administrative matters of the match, including registering players in the match report, applying player cards, and verifying their identities before, during, and after the match, and delivering all information and documents to the organizing body and the federation.

• 1/ 15 Referee Evaluator and Supervisor: The person or persons appointed by the main referees committee of the federation, responsible for evaluating the performance of referees during league matches from a technical perspective according to the laws of the game and supervising them throughout the league duration.

• 1/ 16 The Specialist: Any person whose name is listed in the official match record as part of the technical or medical staff of the team.

• 1/ 17 The Player: A female football player registered in the team’s records under the umbrella of the federation.

• 1/ 18 Violations: Actions and behaviors punishable under this regulation and the disciplinary regulation of the league.

• 1/ 19 Penalties: The sanction imposed on anyone proven to have committed one of the violations stipulated in this regulation and the disciplinary regulation of the league.

• 1/ 20 Attempt: The initiation of an action that is in violation but has not been completed.

• 1/ 21 Violent Play: The use of excessive force or playing brutally against the opposing player when competing for the ball during play.

• 1/ 22 Disgraceful Behavior: The use of excessive force or brutal treatment against the opposing player when there is no competition for the ball, which may be against a teammate, a spectator, a referee, or another person inside or outside the field, and may be committed by someone other than the player according to this regulation.

• 1/ 23 Inside the Field: The area that includes the green rectangle and surrounding areas for the technical and administrative staff, players, the track, and the corridors leading to the changing rooms.

• 1/ 24 Outside the Field: The area starting from the spectators' seating to the outer walls of the field.

• 1/ 25 Before the Match: The time between the arrival of administrators, specialists, and players inside the field and the sounding of the starting whistle.

• 1/ 26 During the Match: The time between the sounding of the starting whistle and the sounding of the final whistle.

• 1/ 27 After the Match: The time from the sounding of the final whistle until the departure of administrators, specialists, and players from the field.

• 1/ 28 The Official Match: All scheduled league matches determined and organized by the organizing body under the supervision of the federation.

• 1/ 29 The Officials: Any person other than the players who engages in activities related to football within the federation or any body, club, or association, regardless of their position and the duration or type of activity (administrative, sports, media, or any other activity), including administrative, technical, and medical staff, supporting employees, consultants, attorneys, intermediaries, as well as board members and honorary members of teams, and federation personnel from board members, committees, administrations, contractors, collaborators, and the general secretariat of the federation, in addition to the bodies and associations affiliated with the federation and others.

• 1/ 30 Match Responsibility: The referee, assistant referees, fourth official, and referee evaluators appointed by the federation, as well as the match observer and coordinator, and individuals responsible for protection and any additional persons appointed by the organizing body to assume responsibilities related to the match.

• 1/ 31 The Fine: A monetary amount paid in Saudi Riyals to the federation's account.

• 1/ 32 The Person: A natural or legal person, whether a player, official, or team, subject to the provisions of this regulation.

• 1/ 33 Force Majeure: Any unexpected and uncontrollable event that leads to the suspension, prevention, or postponement of a match or competition, including but not limited to adverse weather conditions, failure of floodlights, flight conditions, or any other circumstances with similar characteristics.

(2/ 1) The duration of the match is (90) ninety minutes played in two equal halves.

(2/ 2) There must be a break between the two halves of the match lasting (15) fifteen minutes, starting from the whistle signaling the end of the first half and ending at the whistle signaling the start of the second half.

(2/ 3) Injury time: The match referee is responsible for estimating the addition of this time due to substitutions, injuries, or any other reason.

(2/ 4) The referee has the authority to stop the match for a water break once during each half of the match.

(3/ 1) Administrative Procedures:

• 1. The administrator responsible for the team shall submit to the match supervisor a statement of the names of the team players (twenty) (the 11 starters and the 9 substitutes) along with their jersey numbers and their official cards issued by the organizing body, either in writing or through the electronic system, along with the official cards issued by the federation for the season.

• 2. The administrators and specialists attached to the team shall be registered according to the nature of their work.

• 3. The match list mentioned in paragraph (1) shall be submitted, and the players' cards shall be delivered to the match supervisor after being approved through the electronic system at least one and a half hours before the match starts.

• 4. The players' and coaches' cards issued by the organizing body shall be verified by the match supervisor and one of the match referees to ensure the identity of the players and their numbers match the match list.

• 5. The match supervisor shall retain the cards of all players registered in the match list, including players not present on the field until the start of the match.

• 6. Any player registered who has not been verified by the referee and the match supervisor will be removed from the match list.

• 7. No name may be added or replaced in the match list after the match has started, even if the number of players registered in the list is incomplete.

• 8. The match referee is responsible for the administrative procedures in the absence of the administrative supervisor for the match and may assign someone from her assistants to this task.

• 9. A player whose name does not appear in the match list, or who does not hold a player card for the sports season in which the match is held, or who does not work within the organizing body of the league, may not participate in the match.

• 10. In the event that the team's cards are not brought in full for compelling reasons, the match must be held, and the following applies:

  • The administrative supervisor and the match referee are responsible before the match starts for verifying the identity of the participating players through national identity cards for Saudi players or passports or residency permits for non-Saudis (original).

(3/ 2) Technical Procedures:

• 1. Entry to the field is only permitted for match referees, the administrative supervisor, the referee evaluator, and security and medical personnel who hold official cards approved by the organizing body, as well as the players registered in the match list and the administrators and specialists for the team, limited to seven (10) women at most, including (the responsible administrator, team manager, two official coaches, doctor, physiotherapist, and supplies officer).

• 2. The referee must remove any excess number of substitutes from the bench, whether before or during the match, and the match supervisor must ensure their presence on the field and remove the name of any absent from the registration list.

• 3. A player may not be registered in the match list if she is not eligible to participate in it according to the regulations among the names of the substitutes.

• 4. Players on the substitutes' bench are subject to the referee's instructions whether they participate in the match or not, including administrators and specialists.

(3/ 3) Withdrawal:

• 1. A club is considered withdrawn from the competition when it performs one or more of the following actions:

  • 1/ 1 Withdrawal from the competition after the official schedule for the competition has been issued.

  • 1/ 2 The team is late to attend any official match for more than (20) twenty minutes from the scheduled start time without providing convincing reasons.

  • 1/ 3 The team refuses to play any official match.

  • 1/ 4 The team refuses to submit the match list in writing or enter it through the electronic system.

  • 1/ 5 The team leaves the field before the end of any official match.

• 2. The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the federation is responsible for reviewing the cases stipulated in this article and issuing decisions in accordance with the disciplinary regulations of the league.

• 3. Cases of force majeure are exempt from the application of the provisions of this article, and the federation and the organizing body will evaluate these cases.

(4/ 1) League matches are officiated by certified referees or certified female referees officially selected by the main referees committee in the federation, and no match may be officiated by anyone else unless decided by the referees committee.

(4/ 2) If the assigned referee for a match is absent, the fourth official shall officiate the match, and if one of the assistant referees is absent, the fourth official shall replace her. The referee or the referee assessor has the right to call upon the certified referees present on the field.

(4/ 3) The match referee, the referee assessor, and the administrative observer shall submit their reports on the match and its events and proceedings - each separately - according to the task assigned to each of them, and according to the approved form, sending those reports within (2) hours of the match's conclusion.

• (4/ 3/ 1) If the referees committee considers that the referee has indeed committed a technical error in applying the law that directly affected the match result, it may submit a report with a recommendation to the organizing body to take the necessary action.

• (4/ 3/ 2) The decision of the referees committee to raise or not raise the case to the organizing body is considered a final decision and is not subject to appeal.

• (3/3/4) In the event that one of the teams submits a protest to the disciplinary committee based on the technical error raised in the referee assessor's report, it shall reject the protest and immediately refer the file to the main referees committee.

• (4/ 3/ 4) The committee, based on the referees committee report, may take one of the following decisions:

  • A- Replay the match starting from the time the technical error occurred.

  • B- Confirm the match result.

  • C- The decision of the organizing body is final and not subject to appeal.

(4/ 4) The decision of the match referee regarding the match result and the actions of the players is considered a final decision in accordance with the provisions of international law of the game, and the committee shall issue the necessary decisions in this regard.

(4/ 5) If it is established in the report of the referee assessor that the referee committed a technical error related to the application of the law, and the referee acknowledges this; the match may be replayed by a decision of the committee, and the matter of the referee shall be referred to the main referees committee to take the necessary actions against her.

(4/ 6) Teams do not have the right to request (the appointment or non-appointment) of any referees to officiate their matches.

(5/ 1) The technical area extends one meter from each side of the designated area for the substitutes and extends one meter forward from the touchline.

(5/ 2) Only one lady from the administrative and specialist teams is allowed to issue technical instructions during the match within the designated technical area in the stadium, and she must return immediately to her place after giving the instructions.

(5/ 3) The doctor and the physiotherapist may enter the field of play when the game is stopped if permitted by the referee.

(6/ 1) In the league, the winning team is awarded three (3) points, the drawing team receives one (1) point, and the losing team receives nothing.

(6/ 2) The ranking of the teams is determined based on the total points each team has earned in the tournament matches.

(6/ 3) In the event that two or more teams are tied on points in the league, the positions are determined as follows:

• (6/ 3/ 1) The results of the matches between the tied teams are considered to determine the qualifiers.

• (6/ 3/ 2) In case of a tie on points, the results of the matches between the teams are considered, and if the teams are tied on goals, the goals scored minus the goals conceded are calculated. If the tie persists, the team with the most goals scored wins.

• (6/ 3/ 3) If the tie on points and goals continues, the goal difference throughout the tournament is considered, and the goals scored minus the goals conceded are calculated. If the tie persists, the team with the most goals scored in the entire tournament wins.

• (6/ 3/ 4) If the tie continues as per Article (1/3/6), Article (6/ 3/ 2), and Article (6/ 3/ 3), and the tied teams are two teams that played together on the field in the last match, two extra halves are played as a new match. In case of a tie, penalty shootouts are played or directly resorted to penalty shootouts.

• (6/ 3/ 5) If the tie continues as per Article (6/ 3/ 1), Article (6/ 3/ 2), and Article (6/ 3/ 3), and the tied teams are more than two teams or two teams that do not play together on the field, a draw is conducted to determine the qualifying teams.

(6/ 4) In matches conducted in a single elimination format, if the two teams are tied at the end of regular time, extra time is played as follows:

• (6/ 4/ 1) Thirty (30) minutes divided into two equal halves.

• (6/ 4/ 2) If the tie persists after the extra time, the penalty shootout rule is applied.

(6/ 5) If the referee decides to stop the match for any reason due to force majeure, the following is taken:

• (6/ 5/ 1) The match is resumed from the time of stoppage determined by the referee at the time set by the committee at the same venue and with the same players.

• (6/ 5/ 3) Before taking the penalties or during their execution, all penalties must be completed at the time set by the committee at the same venue and with the same players.

(6/ 6) If the match is canceled and one of the parties is considered defeated due to a violation of the rules of the game or the law or other matters and actions that do not fall under the cases of withdrawal or default, the result is counted as three (3) goals to none in favor of the winning team.

(6/ 7) Unless the actual result of the match has more goals, then the result is counted as stated in the referee's report before the match was stopped.

(6/ 8) A player or official is suspended after receiving three warnings in the tournament.