The SAFF Approves the Women's Competitions Calendar and Player Eligibility for the 2025-2026

2025-05-22
21:34:01

The Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) approved the women's competitions calendar for the 2025-2026 sports season.
This comes as part of the rapid expansion of the women's football sector in the Kingdom and as part of a development strategy aimed at enhancing women's participation in sports and raising the level of local competitions.
The calendar includes nine official tournaments covering various age groups, including the Women's Premier League, the inaugural Saudi Women's Super Cup, the Saudi Women's Federation Cup, and the Women's First and Second Division Leagues. It also includes age-group tournaments, such as the SAFF's U-17 Women's Tournament, the U-17 Women's Cup, and the U-17 Women's First Division League, all of which are being held for the first time, in addition to the U-15 Girls' Championship.
The new season is scheduled to start on September 11, 2025, with competitions running until May 23, 2026.
This will ensure a comprehensive sports season spanning over eight months, according to the highest approved standards. This will contribute to increasing the number of matches, enhancing the development of national teams and enhancing their technical readiness.
In a related context, the SAFF also approved key updates related to the eligibility of female players to participate in tournaments, based on age and regulatory requirements aimed at developing skills at various levels.
The most prominent requirements include the following:
• The SAFF U-17 Women's Tournament: Teams are permitted to field players born in 2008 and later, with three Saudi players born in 2007 and later allowed to participate.
• U-17 Women's First Division League: Players born in 2008 and later are permitted to participate.
• SAFF Girl's U-15 Tournament: Participating ages are set at 2011 and later.
• Saudi Women's Federation Cup: Five foreign players are allowed to participate, in addition to one player born on the field.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation confirms that this step is part of efforts to develop the women's football system based on clear organizational foundations, as part of a comprehensive strategy to raise the level of competition and support the continued growth of sports in this vital sector.