December 23, 2024
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According to a Scottish FA panel, match officials in the Scottish Premiership committed four mistakes in the last week, which is the most this season.

In their 2-0 loss to Dundee United at Tannadice, St Mirren was the team most affected, as two bad calls went against them. Additionally, it was decided that Aberdeen should have had a man sent off in their 1-1 draw at Hearts, while Rangers were wrongfully denied a penalty in their 1-0 victory at St Johnstone.

However, after Daizen Meada was sent off for a foul on custodian Ross Doohan, the panel decided that the decision to disallow a Celtic goal in their 1-0 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the middle of the week was valid when Paulo Bernardo’s corner kick went right into the net. According to the report, “the on-field decision was unanimously supported,” “The panel highlighted that the whistle had been blown before the ball entered the goal making it impossible for VAR to intervene.”

Five people with experience in Scottish football make up the Key Match Incident panel, which meets once a week to review significant incidents from the previous weekend’s games and cast votes on whether the on-field call and any VAR interventions that followed were appropriate. The matches played over the weekend of Saturday, November 30, and Sunday, December 1, as well as the midweek card on Wednesday, December 4, were included in the most recent review, which was published on Friday, December 6.

Two significant mistakes were discovered during Saturday’s Dundee United vs. St Mirren game. First, it was decided that it was inappropriate to not recommend a VAR review for Dundee United custodian Jack Walton’s challenge on Toyosi Olusanya of St Mirren. Although the panel believed the tackle deserved a red card, Matthew MacDermid gave him a yellow card. According to the report: “After extensive discussion, the panel decided that the onfield decision was erroneous, with a majority vote of 4:1. The majority (4:1) thought that as the challenge jeopardised an opponent’s safety, VAR ought to have stepped in and suggested an OFR review for a red card. According to one panellist, a yellow card was adequate, and VAR was right to stay out of the way.

Marcus Fraser, a defender for St. Mirren, had already had his red card against Dundee United revoked after a fast-track tribunal hearing this week. The KMI panel concurred that it was an error to elevate the yellow card to red for denying Fraser a goal-scoring opportunity after a VAR check. Fraser brought down United substitute Louis Moult in the area, giving up a penalty for the second time in the game, but the panel decided, by a slim majority, that the offence was not enough to send Fraser off.

“The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (3:2) deeming the on-field decision of a yellow card correct,” according to the report. The majority (3:2) thought that VAR erred in recommending an OFR for snubbling a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Three panellists made it plain that they didn’t believe VAR should get involved since it wasn’t clear and evident enough. Because they saw the offence as depriving an evident goal-scoring opportunity, two panel members thought VAR was right to step in and suggest that an OFR be given a red card.

Stephen Robinson, the manager of St Mirren, objected, but the tribunal decided that the penalty award itself was correct. “The majority of the panel (4:1) agreed that the penalty-kick judgement made on the pitch was correct. One panellist believed that a VAR intervention should have been conducted to suggest reversing the penalty award since the holding was insufficient.

Rangers may be upset that they were not given a penalty at McDiarmid Park on Sunday, as the panel decided by a majority that VAR erred in failing to stop a missed handball by Jack Sanders, a defender for St Johnstone, in the 25th minute while the game was still scoreless. According to the report: “After extensive discussion, the panel decided that the onfield decision was erroneous by a vote of 3 to 2. Most people (3:2) said VAR ought to have stepped in and suggested an OFR for handball. Two panellists felt that VAR was right to refrain from interfering and that a penalty shouldn’t have been given. Jason Holt’s own goal in the second half gave Rangers the three points in the end.

Jack Milne, a defender for Aberdeen, was also given a missed red card. The tribunal decided that the Dons player should have been sent off for a challenge on Beni Baningime in the 89th minute, where he caught the Hearts midfielder on his ankle. The challenge was judged lawful by referee Kevin Clancy, and at the time, a VAR review found no reason for punishment.

“The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (4:1) deeming the onfield decision incorrect,” said the SFA’s KMI panel, which disagreed. The majority (4:1) thought that as the challenge jeopardised an opponent’s safety, VAR ought to have stepped in and recommended an OFR for a red card. One panellist thought that because there was little point of contact, VAR was right to not step in for a red card.

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