The Scottish Soccer Affiliation’s head of referees Willie Collum believes Celtic and Dundee United ought to have been awarded penalties following his early-season evaluation of VAR.
Collum additionally criticised referee Matthew MacDermid’s physique language earlier than Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers scored towards St Johnstone of their Premier Sports activities Cup win at Hampden Park final month.
Former referee Collum, who took cost of Scotland’s officers this summer time, defined some large selections from the primary 4 weeks of the season in ‘The VAR Overview’, a brand new month-to-month present on the SFA’s YouTube channel.
He reviewed the controversial incident at Celtic Park when Hoops striker Kyogo Furuhashi touched the ball previous Robby McCrorie earlier than colliding with the Kilmarnock goalkeeper.
Referee Don Robertson and VAR officers concluded that “the goalkeeper simply makes himself large”, however Collum stated: “We consider this was the fallacious resolution. We now have coached the referees and the VARs {that a} penalty kick ought to have been awarded right here.
“It’s an sudden free-kick with the way in which the ball is chipped. It catches the on-field referee without warning and it’s very troublesome for the referee to seek out an angle spherical that wall to get a correct view.
“The Celtic participant clearly will get forward and touches the ball previous the goalkeeper and we then suppose the goalkeeper’s actions are reckless. An off-field assessment ought to have been requested and the referee requested to return to the monitor.”
Collum additionally highlighted the incident when referee David Dickinson turned down Dundee United claims for a spot-kick after the ball struck the arm of Dundee defender Luke Graham.
“This was a missed handball,” stated Collum. “The ball firstly travels from distance, from a nook kick.
“The Dundee participant, when he jumps, his arm is in an unnatural place and he’s not jostling with an opponent.”
Collum additionally cleared up a contentious Rangers purpose towards St Johnstone when Dessers netted after dispossessing Saints defender Jack Sanders.
A few of the gamers and supervisor Craig Levein instructed their defenders had been distracted by MacDermid signalling for a Saints free-kick.
Collum revealed an audio recording confirmed that the official had not blown his whistle earlier than the purpose was scored.
“Right here, the referee in all probability doesn’t show good physique language,” stated Collum. “His physique language when the problem is made is edging in the direction of a free-kick.
“However he accurately delays the whistle, he accurately communicates so the VAR is conscious of what he intends doing if a purpose is scored and, when the ball hits the web, he then blows his whistle for what he deems to be a defensive free-kick.
“VAR checks and realises the Rangers participant hasn’t dedicated a foul they usually subsequently suggest an on-field assessment.
“Other than the physique language, the proper course of was adopted and in the end the proper resolution was reached.”
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