The Scottish FA's Head of Refereeing Operations has admitted that Celtic should have been awarded a penalty during their 2-0 win over Motherwell at Fir Park, with VAR coaching now updated to reflect the error.
During the match, Celtic captain Callum McGregor saw his shot blocked by Motherwell's Lukas Fadinger, with the ball appearing to strike the defender's hand. Referee Steven McLean awarded a corner, and VAR official Don Robertson did not advise a pitchside review.
Referee Chief Admits Mistake
Speaking on Sky Sports' VAR Review Show, the SFA's refereeing chief conceded that the incident should have resulted in a penalty. He said: "Again, I've got great sympathy for the Motherwell player because I think he is trying to avoid the contact."
He added: "As the shot comes in, he's turning his body away, he's bringing his leg up to block the ball. There's definitely discussion between the referee and the VAR about the arm tucked in."
Coaching Updated for Future Incidents
The refereeing chief explained that while the elbow was tucked in, the arm was extended from the body, creating an unnatural position. He stated: "I think the elbow's tucked in, but the Motherwell player takes a real risk by his arm out from the body here. And in our opinion, after reviewing this incident, our coaching going forward is that this should be a penalty kick, should be awarded in this incident."
Pressed on whether the defender was too close to be penalised, he said: "His elbow is tucked in. But his arm is not. The ball travels a fair distance, so the player runs a risk when he puts his arm out. I don't think it's very, very close. Our coaching on this now is not identified on the field we expect it to be given [by VAR] as a penalty kick."
The admission follows a separate incident in the same match, where referee Steven McLean consulted the VAR monitor to rule out Motherwell's Ibrahim Said's strike for a foul in the build-up.
