A training tool- former referee explains how the SFA will use Tynecastle handball
The SFA can use the Michael Smith’s Tynecastle handball as a training aid according to former referee Steve Conroy.
Four years after the EPL and following months of training under Crawford Allan the SFA finally introduced VAR technology to the SPFL at the weekend.
There was barely an issue at Friday’s Hibs v St Johnstone match but at lunchtime on Saturday the Sky Sports camera showcased a can of worms.
In the 20th minute referee Nick Walsh blew too early when Tony Ralston thought that he had headed Celtic 2-0 in front but the biggest error was just before half-time.
When James Forrest passed into the Hearts box Michael Smith raised his left hand to block the ball with all eyes on Walsh to point to the penalty spot.
The referee refused to give a penalty, in conversation with VAR Steven McLean the incident wasn’t even worth a look at the pitch-side monitor.
Scottish football has been shown up as a laughing stock with Football Scotland picking up on Conroy’s view:
It was wrong. All I can think is that either Nick didn’t see it or he didn’t think it was a deliberate handball.
However, I can’t understand why it was not called for review or asked for review because it was a clear penalty. It’s not just that he made himself big, he moved his hand towards the ball and you could tell by his reaction that he knew straight away what he had done.
I can only assume that Nick decided it wasn’t a penalty – or didn’t see it – and then Steven decided it wasn’t a penalty. But they were both wrong and it’s inexplicable, really.
The incident will be used by the SFA, I imagine, as a tool to show what should have happened. They will use it as an example of how a decision was wrong – it will be a training point.
After months of referee training there shouldn’t have been any doubt from either the match referee or VAR over the Smith handball.
So far there hasn’t been any comment from the SFA about how VAR fared over the weekend, on Saturday McLean will referee Aberdeen’s visit to Ibrox with Walsh on VAR duty.