The return of domestic football brought VAR and refereeing into focus during Celtic’s 2-0 victory over Hearts.
Celtic maintained their pressure at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a win in a hard-fought game against Steven Naismith’s side, who employed a defensive approach from the start. Despite this, Brendan Rodgers’ team secured a 2-0 win, thanks to an Arne Engels penalty and a long-range goal by Luke McCowan.
The main talking point, however, was the decision by VAR official Andrew Dallas and referee Colin Steven to award Celtic a penalty for a handball, which helped Rodgers maintain a five-point lead over Rangers.
What led to the penalty decision for Celtic?
The penalty was awarded after Hearts’ James Penrice handled Nicholas Kuhn’s cross in the box, sparking debate over the weekend.
However, former SFA referees Steve Conroy and Des Roache, speaking on their podcast *Behind the Whistle*, agreed with the call, explaining why the match officials made the correct decision.
Conroy said, “I believe it was a penalty. The ball clearly hit him, and while there’s talk about the distance, I think there was enough space between them. The key point is that the defender’s arms were raised and extended away from his body.
“If we’re correct, the ball wasn’t going to hit his body, but was going past him. He was impacting the ball’s flight and potentially disrupting an attacking play. So, ultimately, I think it was a handball penalty, as his arms were up and away from him with no element of self-protection.”
Former referee’s reaction to the penalty decision at Celtic Park
Although Steven Naismith was critical of the decision, Des Roache shared that his ‘first instinct’ upon seeing the handball was that it was the right call.
Roache added, “My immediate reaction when I saw it was that it was a penalty kick.
“His arm didn’t come in to protect his body. Instead, his arms were outstretched, which only served to block the ball’s path. So, it was a penalty.”
Brendan Rodgers disagreed with Naismith’s claim that Hearts’ penalty appeal was similar to Celtic’s, arguing that ‘the rules are pretty clear’ on handball and that the officials made the correct calls for both incidents.
Celtic’s next challenge is Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League, where Rodgers and the fans will be hoping for a victory at Celtic Park without any further VAR controversy.
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