Celtic’s controversial penalty against Kilmarnock correctly awarded

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The Celtic Star

·18 September 2025

Celtic’s controversial penalty against Kilmarnock correctly awarded

Celtic’s new signing Kelechi Iheanacho came off the bench at Rugby Park on Sunday and became an instant hero with the Celtic support after scoring from the penalty spot with effectively the last kick of the game…

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

However the decision that was eventually reached to award the penalty has been controversial and one of the biggest talking points in Scottish football after the weekend’s round of William Hill Scottish Premiership fixtures. So let’s look at what actually happened and the post-match reaction from the Kilmarnock manager, ex-referees and also the Scottish FA.

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Deep into the six minutes of added-on time, with the score level at 1-1, Celtic substitute James Forrest struck a shot that deflected off one Kilmarnock defender, Robbie Deas and then hit the arm of Lewis Mayo at very close range. Initially referee John Beaton did NOT award a penalty.

In fact, and rather remarkably Beaton pointed to the six yard line to give Kilmarnock a goal-kick, thus seemingly denying Celtic a corner and a last chance to get a winner.

John Beaton looks at the monitor at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

VAR Matthew MacDermid however intervened, asking Beaton to review the incident via the pitch-side monitor. After that review, Beaton reversed his original non-penalty decision and awarded a penalty to Celtic.

Kelechi Iheanacho, a new ‘free-agent’ signing for Celtic on deadline day plus one, stepped up and scored from the spot, giving Celtic a dramatic win. Brendan Rodgers actually intervened from the sidelines to tell his captain Callum McGregor to get Iheanacho to take the spot-kick.

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

Celtic’s Swedish midfielder Benjamin Nygren looked set to take the spot-kick until the Celtic manager intervened as referee John Beaton headed for the VAR screen. The Celtic manager knew Iheanacho could score from the spot and was betting that he’d be unfazed by the importance of the moment for himself personally and for the club.

The decision was quickly defended by the Scottish FA on the basis that Mayo’s arm was in an “unnatural position” and that a deflection does not always negate a handball offence under the IFAB 2025-2026 handball rules.

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

According to the guidance cited, even if a touch is deflected off a teammate, a player can still be penalised if their arm is in a position that makes their body “unnaturally bigger”, or if they take a risk.

John Beaton, on-field referee change his decision after reviewing evidence rather than rigidly sticking with the original call. This is consistent with the way VAR is intended to work: to correct clear and obvious errors. Using the pitch-side monitor demonstrates proper procedure once VAR feels there may have been a mistake.

Critics argue that the contact was so close that the defender had no realistic chance to adjust, making the “unnatural arm position” argument controversial. Some ex-referees such as Bobby Madden said that the penalty should not have been given.

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

Also, if there was prior communication (from the SFA’s referees’ briefings over the summer) that very close-range deflections and touches should not be penalised under certain circumstances, then Beaton’s reversal may be seen as inconsistent with those expectations. Kilmarnock’s manager Stuart Kettlewell has raised that point repeatedly in his post-match interviews and vowed to make a telephone conversation to Willie Collum, the Head of Referees in Scotland, for clarification. We could find out how that call went later in the week at the Kilmarnock manager’s next media conference.

Matthew MacDermid (VAR) played his role in ensuring the decision was reviewed; his intervention led to Beaton being asked to check. That is exactly the intended safety net VAR provides.

Some argue that the review gives too much weight to technicalities (arm position, proximity, deflection) and that VAR should avoid overturning on marginal calls, especially in dying moments where the emotional stakes are high.

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

Others say that once VAR signals for review, there can be pressure (implicit or explicit) on the referee to change the decision, even if the original call was borderline. Critics believe Beaton should have stuck with his original non-penalty decision, based on their interpretation of the rules.

Kilmarnock manager Stuart Kettlewell was clearly very unhappy. He claimed that before the season referees had told clubs that such very close deflections and touches (especially from half a yard, etc.) would not result in penalties if the arm position is not significantly unnatural. As the manager on the wrong side of this decision, he wants clarity as would Brendan Rodgers had the incident happened at the other end of the park.

Former referees such as Des Roache, Steve Conroy, Bobby Madden, Mike Dean have all criticised the decision as wrong, saying this raises fears that many more penalties will be awarded under similar circumstances while some called it ‘lottery-like’.

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

However the Scottish FA defended the referees’ decision by pointing to the updated handball law and asserting that Mayo’s arm was judged to be in an “unnatural position” with VAR using a camera angle from behind the goal that gave more clarity that the angles shown on Sky Sports.

For the Celtic penalty taker Kelechi Iheanacho, this was a high-pressure moment: scoring a penalty in stoppage time, in his debut, to win the game. That’s certainly a very positive first impression and he became an instant hero with the travelling Celtic support.

Iheanacho’s goal what had been a goal drought for the striker going back to March. So it was important personally.

There was also a small side note: his shirt name was misspelt (“Iheancho”). That made for some light-hearted comment but probably he’ll care less given the stakes. But the Celtic kitman was clearly a big fan of the new Celtic striker, giving Iheanacho a big kiss on the head as he left the field following the post-match Celtic celebrations.

Hearts manager Derek McInnes celebrates after the Scottish Premiership match between theRangers and Hearts at Ibrox on September 13, 2025. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)

From Celtic’s perspective, the result keeps them unbeaten, and takes the Champions back to the top of the table, ahead of main challengers Hearts on goal difference, after they had beaten theRangers at Ibrox the previous day to go three points clear of Celtic.

For the signing of Iheanacho, delivering in such a moment can help win over any sceptics, especially given some initial doubts about whether he was a panic buy or whether he washed up and unfit for purpose as a Celtic striker with Celtic in desperate need of a goalscorer to replace Kyogo who left in January and the club failed to replace in both transfer windows in 2025.

The penalty decision is legally defensible under the current handball rules, especially with recent clarifications from IFAB and the SFA: arm in unnatural position, deflection doesn’t automatically absolve the defender. But it is also controversial, and many feel it sits in a grey area. Had Kilmarnock got that decision then the Celtic boss would have been just as angry as the Rugby Park manager.

Sebastian Tounekti is booked by John Beaton at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

However referee Beaton and VAR MacDermid followed correct procedural steps, but the criticism focuses more on whether the rules themselves, or their interpretation, are clear enough, and whether this inversion of an initial non-penalty call was in keeping with how those rules had been communicated.

Iheanacho’s involvement as match-winner makes this even more dramatic, and from a Celtic point of view, the moment was perfect: a new signing, scoring under pressure, earning three points. But for Kilmarnock and many watching, the decision will remain divisive.

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

As things stand, these sort of decisions are likely to go against all clubs this season, especially one that ‘park the bus’ and defend deep. The more the play is in and around your penalty area the more likely you are to concede penalties like the one Celtic got on Sunday.

The Scottish FA’s quick intervention gives clarity, that this type of situation will be a penalty. If that is the case then this provides clarity to all sides in the league and if one is subsequently NOT given the rows will begin again.