SFA panel split over Aberdeen VAR penalty against Rangers as verdict on John Souttar handball delivered

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The Key Match Incident Review Panel were split on VAR's decision to award Aberdeen a penalty in last month's 2-1 win against Rangers.

The Dons had taken a first half lead through a goal from Nicky Devlin and were given a chance to go 2-0 up before the break when VAR intervened to award them a spot kick after John Souttar was adjudged to have handled inside the box. The incident was not spotted by on-field referee John Beaton, but following a lengthy review, the penalty was given to the hosts.

Republic of Ireland star Jamie McGrath saw his tame strike from 12 yards saved by Jack Butland, but Jimmy Thelin's men went on to continue their superb start to the Premiership campaign with Shayden Morris netting the winner 16 minutes from time after Nedim Bajrami had got the Gers back on level terms. The win opened up a nine point gap between Aberdeen in second place and Rangers in third and was the Reds' 15th win in Swede Thelin's first 16 matches in the Granite City.

But in the SFA's weekly KMI report, one of the five judges felt that VAR should not have intervened and that a penalty kick should not have been awarded. The review panel said: "The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (4:1) deeming the on-field decision incorrect. The majority (4:1) believed VAR was correct to intervene and award a penalty for handball. One panelist believed that a penalty should not have been awarded and VAR was incorrect to intervene."

Elsewhere in the Premiership, the KMI panel determined that VAR were wrong to step in and award Dundee United a penalty in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Hibs. David Gray's team held a 1-0 lead going into the final minute of the game at Easter Road only for VAR to give the Tangerines a spot kick for a foul by Mykola Kukharevych on Emmanuel Adegboyega inside the area.

Referee Colin Steven had not spotted the infringement but after consulting the monitor, subsequently awarded the penalty and sent Swansea loanee Kukharevych off for a second bookable offence, with Sam Dalby rescuing a point from Dundee United by converting the spot kick. The KMI panel voted 3:2 that the on-field decision to not award a penalty was correct and that VAR should not have been called upon. Their verdict read: "The panel discussed this decision at length with the majority (3:2) deeming the onfield decision correct.

"The majority (3:2) believed that VAR incorrectly intervened to suggest an OFR. Three members of the panel highlighted that they didn't think the potential foul was clear and obvious enough for VAR to get involved. Two panel members believed that VAR was correct to intervene and recommend an OFR for a penalty kick to be awarded as they believed that there had been obvious holding from the defender on the attacker."

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