‘No handball problem’ in Premiership, says Collum

Scottish FA head of refereeing Willie Collum says the Premiership does not have “a handball problem”, while admitting one error cost Livingston against Rangers.

Collum was speaking on the governing body’s latest VAR Review, which highlighted five handball incidents, including the non-award of a spot-kick at Ibrox after Tete Yengi’s shot hit Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez’s arm.

Former Fifa referee Collum recognised a penalty should have been awarded in that instance but said other incidents at Tannadice, the Falkirk Stadium, Tynecastle and Easter Road were called correctly.

“We’re quite content that our match officials are applying the criteria correctly with the exception of [the incident at Ibrox],” said Collum.

“We acknowledge the Rangers-Livingston handball was an error, it should be a penalty kick but the others we believe are correct.

“I don’t think we have a handball problem.”

The Scottish FA had admitted to Livingston manager David Martindale that a penalty should have been awarded. The score was 1-1 when Yengi’s shot was blocked by Fernandez and Rangers won the match 2-1.

Collum said: “This is an error. The VAR is also disappointed with the decision on reflection.

“This is a punishable handball, the arm is far too outstretched from the body and we need to get that right, we need that to be picked up, we need it to be identified.

“We need the VAR team to use the criteria here to come to the right conclusion. This is the kind of mistake that we want to eradicate.”

Collum agreed with the VAR decision not to award a penalty against Fernandez in Rangers’ 2-2 draw with Dundee United at Tannadice. On that occasion, the ball appeared to clip the defender’s arm as it dropped from a United throw-in.

The head of refereeing said the incident was “not punishable in any shape or form” and also agreed with the awarding of a late Rangers penalty, which Nedim Bajrami converted after a foul by Will Ferry on Max Aarons.

Collum similarly backed the decision not to award a spot-kick against Hearts’ Harry Milne as he blocked a Kyrell Wilson shot on the line as hosts Falkirk attacked. Collum said it was “one million per cent not a penalty kick” because Milne had his arm tucked in against his body.

Celtic defender Liam Scales had a penalty awarded against him for handball in his side’s 2-1 win at Hibernian and Collum again agreed, saying: “It’s the right decision.”

Hearts claimed unsuccessfully for a spot-kick in their 1-1 draw at home to Kilmarnock after Dominic Thompson appeared to head the ball on to his hand. Collum again backed his officials’ decision.

Two incidents during Rangers’ 3-0 win at Kilmarnock were also given Collum’s approval.

Goalkeeper Jack Butland’s challenge on Killie’s Bruce Anderson outside the box was not judged to have merited a red card, and an off-the-ball pull by Mohamed Diomande on David Watson on the edge of the box also went unpunished. Collum believes both incidents were judged correctly.