SFA Chief Executive Ian Maxwell has spoken out on controversy surrounding VAR in Scotland.
Pundits throughout the footballing world were incensed at the VAR intervention which saw Celtic given a last-minute penalty against Motherwell.
The extent of the media hysteria saw John Beaton require security after his address was leaked online. Despite the fury, the SFA doubled down on the decision.
Discussing the controversy, Maxwell slated the ‘narratives’ surrounding VAR, and hit back at the media.
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SFA chief Ian Maxwell: ‘VAR is working’
Via the Daily Record, Maxwell said: “There is a narrative that we have VAR-lite and it’s a cheap VAR system.
“But we have the same VAR system as over 50 percent of European nations.
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“We have the same technology, it’s not any different and it’s not VAR-lite.
“VAR is working. It’s eradicating errors. But unfortunately we have a culture within Scottish football that just wants to focus on the negative and over-analyse and forensically analyse every decision that’s ever made.
“It doesn’t even need to be wrong. It just needs to be a decision you don’t like because it doesn’t suit your team.
“It’s about the colour of shirt your team is wearing. A lot of the hysteria around decisions towards the end of the season weren’t technically wrong.
“Everyone just took an instant dislike to them. We had as tight a title race as we’ve ever had which heightened everybody’s emotions the way it unfolded.
“I understand that. But from a VAR perspective, it’s doing what it should do. We are still getting decisions wrong that we shouldn’t get wrong. Everyone accepts that.
“But when it crosses over into allegations of bias and corruption or being disrespectful to our staff and officials, a line has been crossed and I need to say enough is enough. It just can’t happen.”
Ex-SFA referee’s take on the KMI Celtic penalty verdict vs Motherwell.
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The relevant rules Celtic’s penalty call against Motherwell
The handball was ruled punishable due to “touch[ing] the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. “
As per the rules “A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation.
“By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised.”
Additionally, despite talk of the call being ruled as a “clear and obvious error”, referees are also sent to the monitor in the case of a “serious missed incident” relating to the penalty.
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