PLB’s Closing Season semi-finals remain on hold

There will be no games in the semi-finals of the Premier League of Belize (PLB) closing championship for the second week. The playoffs were placed on hold after an appeal was launched against the PLB’s decision to award team Verdes three points from a game that was to be played against the San Pedro Pirates on April 8th. The Appeals Committee of the Football Federation turned down PLB’s ruling. The Appeals Committee remitted their decision to the PLB Disciplinary Committee for further hearing, but a decision has not been announced when the closing season will resume.
One issue to address is whether the cancelled match between San Pedro Pirates and Verdes will be rescheduled. The match was called off when the referees refused to officiate the game because no lodging was secured for them by San Pedro Pirates as per PLB regulations.  This was considered a forfeit against San Pedro, and Verdes was awarded three points. The island football team protested and even said they would not continue participating for the remainder of the closing season. However, they returned, but not before launching an appeal.
While it is uncertain when the playoffs will occur, the San Pedro Pirates continue conducting practices to be ready when the games resume. The PLB was contacted for an update, but none was available. They briefly stated that they are waiting on a decision from the PLB Disciplinary Committee. In the meantime, the four clubs waiting to start the first leg of the semi-finals, San Pedro Pirates, Verdes, Port Layola, and Progresso FC, are reportedly trying to manage the financial burden this pause is causing them.
The last PLB standings had San Pedro Pirates in second place with 26 points, with Verdes leading with 30 points. However, with the Appeals Committee’s ruling, they are still supposed to lead with 27 points. A new match against San Pedro would decide which teams climb to the top of the tournament’s closing season.