In an update released by the Scottish Football Association, it was revealed that both Celtic and Hearts were wrongly awarded penalties in the controversial 2-0 match where Hearts emerged victorious against Celtic in March.
The independent review panel, responsible for monitoring the performance of VAR in Scotland, identified a total of 10 erroneous decisions in the third round of cinch Premiership fixtures, spanning from the first weekend of February to mid-April.
While this number marked a decrease from the 13 errors detected in the previous round, the composition of the panel, which includes former players, managers, coaches, and experts in the Laws of the Game, varies in each meeting.
During the match at Tynecastle on March 3, two out of the 10 incorrect decisions were made. The first was a penalty awarded to Celtic after Yang Hyun-jun was fouled in the box by Alex Cochrane. Subsequently, Hearts were also awarded a penalty when a high ball struck the arm of Tomoki Iwata.
Following the match, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers received a one-match touchline ban for criticizing the “incompetent” refereeing, although Yang’s red card for a high challenge on Cochrane, which also drew Rodgers’ ire, was not among the errors highlighted in the report.
Among the key incidents, the penalty awarded to Hearts was the sole incorrect call that went against Celtic during the specified period, while Rangers faced two decisions against their favor.
One such incident involved the incorrect sending off of Gers midfielder Dujon Sterling in a match against Aberdeen, while Philippe Clement’s team should not have been penalized for handball in their win over Kilmarnock.
Hibernian also had reason to feel aggrieved retrospectively, as it was confirmed that they should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on Emiliano Marcondes by St. Johnstone goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov during a goalless draw at Easter Road, which ended in a 2-1 victory for St. Johnstone.
Furthermore, Hearts benefitted from three incorrect decisions in their favor, while St. Mirren suffered the most from erroneous calls, with three decisions erroneously going against them in the third quarter.
One notable mistake was the failure to award Motherwell a penalty for handball in their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Aberdeen in March.