SFA set to suspend referee Liam scales on his careless response over Hibernian controversial penalty

Former SFA Referees Blast ‘Inconsistency’ After Controversial Hibs Penalty

Celtic’s hard-fought 2-1 victory at Easter Road has sparked fresh debate over the handball law after Liam Scales was penalised in the second half.

The defender was judged to have handled the ball as he attempted to clear a corner, with referee Nick Walsh initially waving play on before being advised by VAR to review the incident.

The outcome handed Hibs a route back into the match, even though Celtic ultimately held their nerve to leave with all three points.

The moment itself was messy and congested, with the ball bouncing through a cluster of bodies before striking Scales.

Walsh showed no interest in pointing to the spot until VAR requested a second look. Once he made the short walk to the monitor, the decision quickly went against Celtic. Martin Boyle duly converted, setting up a tense finish in a match Celtic had previously controlled.

It didn’t take long for discussion to shift from the incident to the broader issues around the handball law.

The inconsistency in how these decisions are reached, both live and after VAR intervention, has been a constant point of frustration for players, supporters and managers across the league. Celtic have been on the wrong end of several marginal calls this season, and Saturday’s moment added another example to a growing list.

That frustration was echoed by two former Scottish FA referees, who reacted publicly after the match. Speaking through the ‘The Ref’s View’ account on X, Des Roache and Steve Conroy shared their thoughts on the decision.

Their comments offered a rare, candid view from those who have operated under the pressure of top-level officiating, and their assessment cut straight to the heart of the issue.

Their comments summed up the main issue with handball in the VAR era: nobody really knows where the line is anymore.

Roache and Conroy could understand why Walsh eventually pointed to the spot, which shows how the law can be applied in a very strict, technical way. But they also pointed out that much clearer handballs often go unpunished, which only adds to the sense that these decisions are becoming impossible to predict.

The Scales incident showed exactly why people get so frustrated. The ball zipped through a bunch of players and he barely had a split second to react.

In real time it looked accidental, but in slow motion it always seems more deliberate than it really is. That gap between what actually happens on the pitch and what VAR sees in freeze-frames is where so many of these arguments start.

Celtic handled the aftermath well, digging in during the final stages to make sure the decision didn’t change the result. They showed the resilience that has carried them through a tough run of games. Even so, the penalty changed the tone of the match and gave Hibs belief when Celtic had been comfortable.

There’s so much inconsistency with handball that the Scottish FA are constantly tying themselves in knots.

Can see why that’s been given but on the other hand, we’ve seen so many clearer penalties not given.

Transparency would he helpful

Roache and Conroy’s call for more transparency is something plenty of people agree with. VAR has given officials more tools, but it hasn’t made things any clearer for anyone watching.

When former referees are saying the system needs better guidance and consistency, it shows how messy the situation has become. Celtic may have won, but the handball debate won’t go away, and the pressure on the authorities to sort it out will only keep growing.