VAR Technology Enters Saudi Women's Football Competitions for the First Time

2026-08-31
15:28:10

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) is implementing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology for the first time in women's football competitions, specifically during the Saudi Women's Super Cup and the final match of the SAFF Women's Cup.

The adoption of this technology reflects the ongoing commitment to developing women's football in the Kingdom and raising the standards of competition, as well as keeping pace with the latest technologies in football, that will contribute to supporting the refereeing system and enhancing the accuracy of decisions during matches.

As part of the preparations for implementing the technology, the SAFF held a virtual meeting with representatives of the clubs participating in the Saudi Women's Super Cup, which was attended by the team manager and captain from each club, explained the VAR system and its application procedures during matches.

This step is an extension of the development witnessed in women's competitions, through the enhancement of technical, organizational, and refereeing aspects, in line with the rapid growth of the game at all levels.

The Saudi Women's Super Cup will be the first tournament to utilize VAR technology, with its application later extending to the final of the SAFF Women's Cup.

This marks the technology's debut in the history of local competitions, with plans to expand its use to other competitions in the coming seasons.

The second edition of the Saudi Women's Super Cup will kick off on September 1st in Taif, featuring Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ittihad, thus launching the first event of the 2026-2027 sports season.