Ross County manager Malky Mackay has urged Scottish referees to stand strong against pressure from VAR and apply common sense when it comes to handballs in the box.
On Saturday, having held Motherwell at 0-0 until deep within 12 minutes of stoppage-time at Fir Park, a VAR check over the ball making contact with Staggies defender Keith Watson’s hand led to a penalty, and Kevin van Veen buried the opportunity for a 1-0 Premiership win for the Steelmen.
That point snatched away could be crucial as it dropped County from 10th in the live table to 11th by full-time. They occupy the relegation play-off spot, one point behind Kilmarnock and two points ahead of bottom side Dundee United with two massive closing games this week.
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On Wednesday, County host St Johnstone, at the same time as Dundee United host Killie. Then, on Sunday, County travel to Rugby Park to tackle Derek McInnes’ Ayrshire side.
On handballs, Mackay feels officials should implement the common sense approach they apply to other areas of the game.
He said: “The (FIFA) handball rule is the rule and there is nothing we can do about it, but there’s common sense attached. Games need to be ruled with common sense, which seems to have gone from the situation.
“Common sense seems to be applied to the seven-second rule in terms of goalkeepers with their ball in their hands.
“Every week, goalkeepers have the ball in their hands for 15-20 seconds. It might be a wee bit of time-wasting, but it’s not really.
“That happens every week and it’s not challenged. But the rule is after seven seconds there should be a free-kick to the opposition.
“VAR is not picking up on it. Referees are not picking up on it. It’s common sense being attached to that law of the game.
“Another law of the game is FIFA now saying if the ball touches the hand anywhere at all which is outwith the side of the arm (then it’s a penalty).
“We got one given against us last week against Dundee United, which was ridiculous. Josh Sims jumps and blocks the ball, and it skimmed his pinkie, and it was a penalty against us.”
Refs need to stand by own decisions
Mackay, a former performance director at the SFA, feels referees must feel able to stand by their initial decision when they are asked by VAR to go to the monitor – a rare occurrence this season.
He added: “We played Celtic in April and it was standing at 0-0. Then, 10 seconds before half-time, Alex Iacovitti and Cameron Carter-Vickers go for the ball in the box.
“The ball skimmed (Alex’s) shoulder and a penalty was awarded. That was off the back of VAR. There was no clear-and-obvious situation there. No one (from Celtic) claimed for it.
“Every time (in Scotland) the referees go to the monitor, they do not stand by their decision.
“They are always changing their decision.
“No referee is saying: ‘I am seeing it in real-time. I am standing 10 yards from it’.”
Talks must start within Scottish FA
Mackay is urging the football authorities to get around the table to discuss where VAR is failing and try to sort it out.
He added: “I would hope a wider discussion internally about VAR and who makes decisions (in games) is going to be looked at by Crawford Allan (head of referee operations at the Scottish FA) and the SFA.
“I would hope at some point clubs and managers are then brought into that discussion.
“There is a lot of discord in terms of decisions being clear and obvious. It’s not working properly.
“VAR is being written about every week and it’s the referees’ reputations judged and spoken about, not mine or yours.”
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