The SFA Head of Refereeing Operation has cast his eye over a series of high profile VAR calls
19:14, 19 Dec 2025Updated 19:20, 19 Dec 2025
SFA Head of Refereeing Operations Willie Collum
Defiant Willie Collum insists VAR in Scotland does not have a “handball problem” after a series of high profile incidents. However, the SFA Head of Refereeing Operations did admit the official got a Livingston penalty call wrong against Rangers.
Defender Emmanuel Fernandez blocked a shot from Tete Yengi with his arm during the flashpoint. Referee Ross Hardie was not sent to the pitchside monitor to review the incident by John Beaton in the VAR room. The SFA clarified to Record Sport that the official guidance indicated that it was short proximity and that Fernandez’s arm position was natural for his movement that saw VAR decline to step in.
Speaking to the Scottish Football VAR Review, Collum conceded it was the wrong decision and admitted Beaton was “disappointed” about the howler. He said: “This is an error for us. The VAR is also disappointed with the decision on reflection. We will make mistakes.
“We feel we have improved, and maybe less mistakes, but this is an example of the type of mistake we need to eradicate because it’s very hard for people to understand. This is a punishable handball. The arm it far too outstretched from the body.
“We need that to be identified, we need that to be picked up and our VAR team to use the criteria to come to the right conclusion. I could analyse this clip, but put simply this is the type of error we want to eradicate, we want our match officials to get correct off field and in the VAR. Moving forward, we need to learn from this.
Yengi’s shot is blocked by Fernandez(Image: SNS Group)
“When we talk about VAR, this is the kind of error people say they don’t understand because you get the chance to look and look again. This is one we would want to prevent moving forward.”
Fernandez would be involved in another handball flashpoint against Dundee United, after a long throw made contact with his arm in the box. However, Collum this time backed up the refereeing team – and went on the offensive over some of the flashpoint “analysis”
He said: “This decision is correct for us. It’s a long throw that comes in. The Rangers player is clearly bringing his arm down and in towards the body.
“This is not punishable, this is a natural for this playing action. I was really, really surprised because there was quite a few comments in the analysis of this decision saying ‘you have seen them given – I was disappointed to hear that, because I don’t recall in the last 12 or 13 months in Scotland where we have awarded a decision like that. If the referee had blown here to award a penalty kick, we would expect them to be brought to the monitor to overturn that decision.”
Celtic defender Liam Scales was also punished for a handball against Hibs last month as he attempted to clear the cross. The SFA ref chief continued: “It’s the right decision. I want to congratulate the VAR team here because they find the crucial angle to find the handball.
“We are not saying it’s an intentional offence, but it’s punishable. It’s a correct intervention and a correct yellow card.”
League leaders Hearts were also involved in handball controversy. Kyrell Wilson tried to draw Falkirk level after Claudio Braga gave the league leaders an early lead and rounded the goalkeeper before Harry Milne blocked the shot.
He said: “The on-field communication is really good between the officials. It hits the arm, but the arm is tucked into the body. One million per cent, this is not a penalty kick.
“If a penalty kick was awarded here, it would be categorically wrong and would’ve required intervention. This is not punishable. It’s actually never been punishable.”
Collum would then take on the VAR “narrative”, adding: “What I am probably a bit disappointed about is we seem to have a narrative just now, because we have had quite a few handballs, is that we have a handball problem again. I don’t think we have a handball problem.
“We acknowledge the Rangers vs Livingston handball was an error, yep, it should have been a penalty kick but the others we believe are correct.
“I don’t think we have a handball problem, it just so happens we have gone through a period where there have been a number of contentious decisions.”