Celtic handball controversy: What are the SFA laws around VAR and handball?

Celtic’s injury-time penalty to beat Motherwell, awarded for handball after an intervention from VAR, has sparked a significant amount of controversy.

In the last seconds of added time during a crucial Premiership clash at Fir Park on Wednesday, Motherwell’s Sam Nicholson was adjudged to have handled the ball inside his own area after rising high for a challenge with Celtic defender Austin Trusty.

Video assistant referee (VAR) Andrew Dallas deemed it a “serious incident” and a “clear and obvious error” that was missed by referee John Beaton, subsequently calling him to the pitchside monitor.

Following a short review, Beaton made the decision to award a spot-kick, which Kelechi Iheanacho converted, leaving Celtic one point behind Hearts going into the final day fixture between the two at Celtic Park.

Had Celtic drawn, Hearts could have afforded to lose by two goals when the sides meet on Saturday and still be crowned champions for the first time since 1960.

Instead, Derek McInnes’ men must now avoid defeat at Celtic Park on the final day of the campaign to become the first club other than Celtic or Rangers to win the Scottish top-flight title in 41 years.

Match fallout

There has been a significant fallout following the decision. McInnes described the injury time call as “disgusting”, while his Motherwell counterpart Jen Berthel Askou described it as “shocking and a shame for the game”.

Former Rangers and Scotland striker Ally McCoist claimed it was “a horrendous decision that has once again embarrassed Scottish football” on TalkSport on Thursday morning, while former Scotland striker Don Hutchison deemed it “the worst decision of all time”.

Ex-England striker Gary Lineker said the “extraordinary” call was arguably the worst VAR decision he has witnessed.

The controversy also seeped into the world of politics.

Former Scottish secretary and passionate Hearts fan Ian Murray criticised the “inconsistency” that led to Celtic being awarded the spot kick when his own team had been denied “two clearer penalties” at the weekend.

Motherwell's Sam Nicholson is penalised for a handball. — Motherwell’s Sam Nicholson is penalised for a handball. SNS Group

After a major call that is sure to be debated for years to come, STV News takes a look at the official laws on VAR and handball.

What are the VAR laws?

The Video Assistant Referee system was brought into Scottish football in October 2022 to help on-pitch referees get the big calls right.

VAR checks for any match are continuous, with a three-man team watching a variety of camera angles back at the match centre.

If a goal is scored then an automatic check of the entire “attacking phase of play” takes place to check for any foul. For other incidents, like an off-the-ball clash, a detailed check can happen at any time.

There are four “match-changing” instances when VAR can be used – but this can only be utilised if there is evidence of a “clear and obvious” error or a “serious missed incident”.

Serious incidents include goals/no goals, mistaken identity, penalty-area incidents, and straight red cards.

However, VAR does not make the final call. The match referee will be able to review every angle of a serious incident.

They then make all final decisions and can stick with their original call even after being invited to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.

What are the handball laws?

The current rules on handball have been questioned and criticised by players, managers, fans and pundits around the world, with the introduction of VAR adding to the controversy over what is and isn’t considered a handball foul.

When “non-deliberate” handball is an offence, it raises the controversy significantly, with the laws of the game stating that greater clarity is needed.

The current official SFA guidelines state that having the hand or arm above shoulder height is rarely a “natural” position, and a player is “taking a risk”.

If the ball comes off the player’s body, or off another player who is close by, onto the hands or arms, it is deemed “often impossible” to avoid contact with the ball.

The laws also state that a player is expected to be penalised for handball if they gain possession or control of the ball from their hand and arm and gain a major advantage.

Hearts will no doubt await clarity on the decision from Scottish FA head of referees Willie Collum to seek an explanation over the key decision.

Ahead of Saturday’s title decider at Celtic Park, the SFA has announced that Don Robertson will take charge of proceedings, assisted by Calum Spence and David Roome, while Kevin Clancy will operate VAR, with Matthew MacDermid assisting.