Decisive “scenarios” determine the fate of the UAE-Saudi Arabia match after it was stopped due to heavy rain

The start of the second half of the UAE-Saudi Arabia match, designated to determine third place in the Arab Cup, was postponed today, Thursday, due to heavy rain that flooded the floor of Khalifa International Stadium, which hosted the confrontation, after the first half ended in a goalless draw.

Following consultations between the Chilean match referee, Christian Garay, and the match observer, it was decided that the players would return to the locker rooms temporarily, pending a final decision on whether to continue or cancel the match.

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) regulations stipulate that the match referee is given full authority to decide whether to continue the match or not in such circumstances, by suspending the match for a period of up to 30 minutes, and may increase to another half hour maximum before resorting to the cancellation decision.

The referee instructed the two teams that he would stop the match for half an hour until he made his decision on the possibility of resuming it, which is the first scenario, while the suspension period will extend for another 30 minutes, which is the second scenario. As for the last and decisive scenario, if the referee sees that it is not possible to complete the match, the match will be canceled in order to ensure the safety of the players.

It is noteworthy that if the match cannot be completed, official reports will be submitted to the FIFA Arab Cup Competitions Committee, in order to set a new date for holding the match.