The following terms and expressions shall wherever used herein have the meanings assigned thereto. A reference to the singular shall include the plural and vice versa unless the context requires otherwise.

• KSA: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

• SAFF: SAFF Executive Board

• Board: SAFF Executive Board

• International Federation (FIFA): Fédération Internationale de Football Association “International Federation of Association Football” (FIFA)

• AFC: Asian Football Confederation

• Statutes: SAFF Statutes

• Regulations: SAFF Dispute Resolution Chamber Regulations forming the statutory and procedural framework of the Chamber.

• Chamber: SAFF Dispute Resolution Chamber.

• General Secretariat: SAFF Administrative Authority.

• Association: An organization with an independent legal personality affiliated to SAFF.

• Professional Club League Association: Independent associations that are independent in administrative, financial and organizational terms, operate under the auspices of SAFF and organize a specific league or competition.

• Saudi Football Players League: Saudi National Federation represents football players and was duly established according to KSA laws.

• Saudi Sports Arbitration Center (SSAC): The competent judicial authority that exclusively hears, decides on or intermediates in all sports and/or sportsrelated disputes subject to exhaustion of all internal means of appeal according to the Statues and the Regulations.

• CAS: Court of Arbitration for Sport headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland

• Game: Football

• Parties: Clubs, Players, Coaches and Football Agents governed by these Regulations.

• Club: A sports establishment or company having a separate legal personality officially licensed by the competent authority to practice football, acts as a member of SAFF or a league and participates with at least one team in competitions.

• Player: A player who has concluded a contract in writing with a club and receives a remuneration for his football activity in excess of the respective actual expenses.

• Coach: A natural person employed in a football-related profession by the club or SAFF and (1) whose job duties include one or more of the following duties: select and train players to participate in matches and competitions, and determine tactical selections during matches and competitions and/or (2) whose work requires holding a training license according to any approved local or continental regulations. This includes assistant-coaches.

• Football Agent: A natural person licensed by FIFA to act as a football services agent.

• Competition Period: The period that starts to run from the first official match in the local league or cup competition whichever comes first and ends with the last official match played in such competition.

• Sports Season: The period during which competitions, tournaments and official and friendly matches organized and determined by SAFF or sports associations are held.

• Ordinary Majority: Total votes of more than half of the present members who have the right to vote.

• Contract: A written agreement made between a Professional Player, a Coach, a player agent and/or a Club and containing at least the essential elements of an employment contract.

• Conflict of Interests: A potential or actual conflict of interest exists when a member has a personal interest or dispute that may influence him/her when making a decision as a DRC Member and/or that may result, directly or indirectly, in personal gains for him/her or a relative thereof according to SAFF approved Code of Conduct and Ethics Regulations.

The Chamber is an arbitral tribunal the objective of which is to establish justice and safeguard the rights of the parties. In the course of its works and jurisdictions, the Chamber relies on the following:

• 1- The contracts and agreements concluded by the Parties unless they conflict with the public order provided for under the local laws of KSA, and SAFF Statutes and/or Regulations;

• 2- SAFF Statutes, regulations, circulars, directives and decisions;

• 3- Statutes, regulations, circulars, directives and decisions of the CAS, FIFA and AFC in the event that SAFF’s regulations do not legislate;

• 4- Sports equity rules related to football;

• 5- The Chamber may refer to the local regulations where a decision on the dispute so requires without prejudice to the sports confidentiality.

1- Safeguarding the rights of the parties;

2- Administering justice concerning the equal representation of the Chamber’s members; and

3- Determining the procedures and mechanisms required for resolution of disputes arising between the parties.

These Regulations constitute the main reference for actions before DRC concerning local disputes arising between Clubs, Players, Football Agents and/ or Coaches.

The Chamber shall have the jurisdiction to:

• 1- consider and resolve local disputes arising between clubs, players, football agents and/or coaches to secure contractual stability;

• 2- Local labor disputes arising between a club, a player and/or a coach

• 3- Any dispute arising between clubs particularly in connection with:

  • a- Training compensation at the local level;

  • b- Joint contribution at the local level; and

  • c- Disputes related to claiming transfer value.

• 4- Disputes arising between a player, a coach or a football agent according to the terms and conditions of SAFF local football agents’ regulations;

• 5- Appeals filed by professional players against sanctions imposed thereon under the professional contract;

• 6- The defendant’s plea that DRC lacks jurisdiction to the hear the dispute may not be accepted even if the contract subject of dispute determined the competent authority unless this plea is made prior to any request or defense made by the defendant.

• 7- Should the Chamber see that it lacks specific jurisdiction to hear the dispute, it shall decide that it lacks jurisdiction and this decision may be appealed notwithstanding the dispute value.

• 8- In the event of doubt about jurisdiction concerning a claim between SAFF Committee for Professionalism and Status of Players and the Chamber, the Chairman of SAFF Professionalism and Status of Players Committee shall decide the authority having jurisdiction to hear the claim.

• 9- The Chamber may not hear any dispute according to these Regulations upon the lapse of two calendar years as of the termination of the contractual relationship subject of the origin of right. It shall be ascertained that said time restriction is applied to every individual case unless the plaintiff has submitted an acknowledgment.

1- The Committee shall perform its functions and powers according to the equal representation of clubs’ representatives and players.

2- The Chamber shall be comprised of the following members who shall assume their offices for a renewable four-year term:

• 2-1. The chairman and a deputy chairman may not be DRC members at the time of composition and they shall be nominated unanimously by club representatives and players and appointed by the Board of Directors;

• 2-2. Three representatives of players shall be appointed by the Board of Directors based on a nomination made by Football Players League.

• 2-3. Three representatives of clubs shall be appointed by the Board of Directors based on a nomination made by Pro Club Associations provided that no one club has more than one representative in the Chamber.

3- SAFF shall be the head office of the Chamber.

4- Arabic shall be the official language of the Chamber.

1- He shall be of Saudi nationality and hold an academic qualification of at least a bachelor’s degree in Sharia or Law.

2- He shall have at least 10-year experience in legal consultancy, advocacy or legal works.

3- He shall be fully aware and have full knowledge of the laws and regulations of football in general and football professionalism in particular.

4- He may not be a Board member;

5- He may not be a board member of any club or engage in any permanent or temporary work on a full-time or part-time basis therefor.

6- He shall be known for his impartiality, competency, good reputation and conduct.

7- There shall be no legal impediment that may prevent him from performing his duties where he serves at the public or private sectors.

8- He may not combine the membership of the Chamber and that of any SAFF permanent or judicial committees, Pro League Associations or Saudi Sports Arbitration Center (SSAC).