Video Spotlight: Is Al Hilal Getting a Fair Whistle in the Saudi Pro League? Red Cards, Penalties, and Pro League Drama
24 January 2026
Overview
An in-depth look at the refereeing decisions in this season’s Dawri Roshen Saudi Pro League, centered on Al Hilal’s rise and the perceived fairness of calls. The analysis leans on insights from referee expert Abdullah Al-Qahtani, who weighs in on the season’s first half and its impact on the title race.
Standings and key facts
After 17 rounds, with one match postponed, Al Hilal sits atop the table on 44 points, seven points clear of Al Nassr and Al Ahli in second and third place respectively. The debate around officiating centers on whether the calls helped or hindered Hilal as the campaign progressed.
Red cards and penalties
According to Al-Qahtani, Hilal’s players received four red cards that were deemed undeserved, the most among clubs so far in the season’s first half. By contrast, Al Ettifaq players did not receive three deserved red cards, while Al Nassr, Al Ahli, and Al Ittihad did not have two deserved red cards each. Damac was cited as the club most affected by refereeing errors with two undeserved red cards, while Al Ahli and Al Ittihad each faced one such decision.
Shabab (Al Shabab) was the team with the most red cards this season at six, followed by Al Ittihad, Al Ahli, Damac, and Al Khodood with five each.
Cooperation (Al Taawoun) and Al Fateh were noted as the teams that caused opponents’ discipline to spike, each with five red cards against rivals. Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Qadisiyah followed with four each.
On penalties, Hilal again features prominently, with six spot-kicks awarded this season—the same tally as Al Hazm—while Al Nassr, Al Shabab, and Al Taawoun each have five. The analyst highlighted instances where penalties were not awarded or were deemed unjust, listing Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, Al Ahli, and Al Khodood with one unjust penalty each. Conversely, four penalties that should have been awarded to Hilal were not, second only to Al Qadisiyah, and NEOM also had five such missed calls.
Additionally, Hilal was cited as the team most affected by not being awarded penalties, with four not given, tied with Al Ettifaq; Al Ittihad, Al Shabab, and Al Khaleej followed with two each.
In short, the season’s whistle has produced a mix of controversial calls that continue to fuel debates about fairness and the balance of power in the Saudi Pro League.
Punchlines aside, if referees had memory like elephants, every offside flag would come with a tiny reminder: “Did you mean that?” And if the whistle could blush, it would turn bright red after certain penalties. Comedy aside, the game rolls on, whistle at the ready and fans watching with sharpened attentions.
