Scottish FA’s intervention bad news for teams parking the bus | OneFootball

Amid the mainstream media’a anger and former referees’ fury the Scottish FA issued clarification outlining the reason behind Celtic’s late penalty against Kilmarnock on Sunday afternoon…

Stuart Kettlewell at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Brendan Rodgers’ side seemed set to drop two points in Ayrshire after David Watson struck an equaliser for Stuart Kettlewell’s men with around 10 minutes of the game remaining.

In stoppage time, the ball made contact with the arm of Kilmarnock defender Lewis Mayo which referee John Beaton waved away on-field. Following a VAR check, Beaton was called over to the monitor and pointed to the spot. Post-match, Sky Sports reporter Luke Shanley – when interviewing Kettlewell – gave the full SFA explanation behind the decision to award the penalty.

The explanation read: “The penalty [was]awarded for handball by the Kilmarnock defender whose arm was in an unnatural position. Deflection does not always negate a handball offence. He doesn’t know where the ball is going, and his arm is up in an unnatural position to block a shot.”

Brendan Rodgers was also asked about his take on the penalty decision. The Celtic manager said:

“Yeah, listen, I think if you’re the home team and you get that given against you then of course you may not be so happy. I think for myself, we create the chaos in the box, create the opportunity and then obviously we get that moment where it does pop up and hit someone on its way, maybe into goal. I don’t know, but it’s certainly on the one image I’ve seen.”

Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates scoring the winner for Celtic at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“But like you say it pops up and hits his arm. I was really pleased with Kelechi Iheanacho, for him. I think the last penalty he took was for me at Wembley against Manchester City in the Community Shield, he stuck that one away and that was his other moment there, and I think that’s a big moment for him with the supporters and everything else. So, yeah, we got it, he’s still got to score and he scored it and then we take the win.”

Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates with Brendan Rodgers at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The Scottish FA’s intervention was signifiant in that it provides absolute clarity for all sides in the Scottish Premiership that VAR will intervene in these situation if they are missed by the referee and all recommend an onscreen review. And with that guidance also available to the referees there can be no other outcome other than a penalty kick.

Teams sitting deep, parking the bus are going to be more likely to suffer from these instances, which will suit Celtic just fine. But as we’ve been told so many times over the years in the pre-VAR era of honest mistakes, these things will even themselves out over the course of a season.  That never actually happened did it?

Conor Spence

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