The judicial system within the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) is one of the key pillars ensuring justice and discipline across various aspects of the game. This system comprises several judicial bodies. According to Article 52 of the SAFF Statutes, the judicial bodies in the federation consist of the following committees:

• Disciplinary and Ethics Committee

The committee consists of a chairperson, a deputy chairperson, and three members. Both the chairperson and deputy must hold at least a bachelor’s degree in law or its equivalent, along with the necessary knowledge and experience in football-related matters.

According to Articles 97 and 98 of the Disciplinary and Ethics Regulations, the committee has broad authority to sanction any violations of SAFF regulations. It is responsible for imposing penalties on offenses that match officials may have overlooked, correcting disciplinary errors in referees’ decisions, extending match suspensions, and issuing additional sanctions such as financial fines. The regulations apply, but are not limited to, SAFF members, officials, clubs, players, referees, and intermediaries (formerly known as agents). The penalties outlined in the regulations vary between natural and legal persons and include, but are not limited to:

For natural persons: Warning, expulsion, suspension for one or multiple matches, ban from locker rooms or the bench, stadium ban, and prohibition from participating in any football-related activity.

For legal persons: Transfer bans, playing matches without spectators, hosting matches at a neutral venue, stadium bans, match annulments, match replays, license withdrawals, point deductions, and relegation to a lower division.

• Appeals Committee

The Appeals Committee is responsible for reviewing appeals against decisions issued by the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee, in accordance with applicable regulations, except for cases specified in Article 90 of the regulations. This article states that decisions issued by the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee concerning the refusal of natural or legal persons to comply with non-international decisions are final, binding, and not subject to appeal.

• National Dispute Resolution Chamber (NDRC)

In 2015, SAFF established a National Dispute Resolution Chamber (NDRC) to handle domestic disputes involving clubs, players, and intermediaries. The NDRC operates in accordance with SAFF regulations and FIFA’s published regulations. It has the authority to adjudicate all national disputes related to professional players’ contracts, training compensation, solidarity mechanisms, and intermediary contracts. Decisions of the NDRC can be appealed before the Saudi Sports Arbitration Center within twenty-one days from the date of notification of the decision.

Conclusion

The judicial bodies within SAFF play a crucial role in ensuring compliance with regulations and upholding integrity in football competitions. Through the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee, the Appeals Committee, and the NDRC, disputes and violations are adjudicated following clear procedures that guarantee justice. This system reflects SAFF’s commitment to developing a fair legal framework that safeguards the rights of all football stakeholders.