Recent content by LothianRef

Just woken up and seen this. Weirdly, despite the fact they did end up getting to the right decision in the end, that’s the wrong decision for me as it sets a dangerous precedent where they’ve effectively reviewed a standard yellow card.

That’s exactly what Steven McLean does in the next clip when he was asked to review a potential penalty for Hearts, coincidentally in exactly the same position at Fir Park. He felt the footage of the contact on the Hearts attacker was inconclusive, so stuck to his initial decision of play on...

I did many games as an AR for a ref (now Category 1 ref in Scotland) who always said pre-match that if there was a penalty awarded, hold your position for a few seconds before coming in to the goal line position, as if a player came charging across to the corner flag, then it makes it a whole...

Am I correct in saying that, for example, if the player took their shirt off in celebration of the (soon to be disallowed) goal, then the caution would still stand? i.e. any disciplinary action still stands, even if the decision doesn’t.

Glad you mentioned that as I’d forgotten about that until now. It did look like he pointed for a corner and then changed his mind - presumably after comms with one of the ARs. Correct decision even if it looked slightly messy.

That’s one of the best statements I’ve seen from the SFA in a long time. I get the impression from it that this has been building up for a while and (rightly) Wednesday night was the straw that broke the camel’s back. For example, Michael Stewart was banned by the SFA from Hampden for April’s...

I think this has highlighted an interesting contradiction in the wording of the handball law - although who is surprised by that 😜 It states that it’s a handball offence if a player handles the ball when their hand has made their body unnaturally bigger. However it then goes on to define...

I was going to post a separate thread but it links in with this so I’ll put it here instead. Hibs equaliser was allowed to stand as the VAR didn’t believe there was conclusive evidence of a handball.

If a player tries to push an opponent out of the way how much force is necessary? I’d say none, yet nobody would be expecting a red card if it was player on player. I think the threshold for what’s “acceptable” for pushing match officials should be lower than players, but the LOTG don’t...

It’s not a challenge for the ball (obviously) so careless, reckless etc doesn’t come into it for me. Therefore you’re left to decide whether or not it’s violent conduct. VC does mention excessive force or brutality, but this doesn’t come anywhere near that in my opinion. Caution for lack of...

Where is this in the laws of the game?

If he pushed a player like that would you be sending him off?

People are very rarely shouting at you personally - it’s the shirt you’re wearing that they’re shouting at.

A couple of years ago I was refereeing a youth game on a horrible day with strong wind and rain. Player went to take a throw in and the ball slightly slipped from his hand as he threw it. It was probably a foul throw but it was borderline enough that I was happy to let it go, especially with the...

I get that they’re “managing an event” as much as officiating a football game but somebody needs to be brave and caution him for it, and if he continues then give him a second caution. It’s the most blatant example there is of “clearly/persistently not respecting the confines of their own team’s...