SPL debatable decisions

So the SPL is getting into its stride, and the debatable decisions are beginning to flood in. After nine decisions to review in six games in week one, we had to deal with ten in just five games in week two. And the referees couldn’t maintain the 66% success rate that they established last week.

Aberdeen vs Ross County

Boyd penalty shout

Paul – Looks like a penalty to me, Boyd could have got on the end of that cross, Anderson with arms around him and forcing him to the ground.

Gary – It’s a penalty, he’s all over the Ross County man. If it’s not bad enough that he runs into him he’s also got his arms all about him. The ref never gave it, they rarely do and it’s disappointing to see. This one should have been given. Incorrect decision.

Robert – The ref was wrong with this. Okay, we say that this sort of thing happens in every penalty box, at every corner but that shouldn’t be an excuse. Anderson was all over him like a polyester suit before he flew into the back of him. If a player had done that to the ‘keeper at a corner, we’d see a foul given, so why not in this case?

Mike – Incorrect – Boyd was held back – Penaly should have been given.

Simon – A clearly incorrect decision which in the end cost Ross County. This would have been a foul anywhere else on the pitch, and should have resulted in a penalty for the visiting team.

Overall verdict: Incorrect decision

Dundee vs St. Mirren

Steven Thompson potential second yellow card

Paul – Intent to play the ball was there but boot was high, studs were showing so should have been a booking, and a red card too.

Gary – It’s a reckless challenge/high feet, whichever you feel like booking him for. OK maybe he’s not seen him, I can’t really tell where his eyes are, but I do feel it was worthy of a second yellow, and he should have been off. Incorrect decision.

Robert – Thompson definitely went for the ball but he left the boot in. The fact that the ref saw fit to award a free kick; I’m surprised he let Thompson away without a second caution whether the foul was intentional or otherwise. Incorrect decision.

Mike – Thompson’s first challenge was bad, his second was border line assault! If the referee insisted on only booking him for one of the challenges, then he got them the wrong way around. Clear case of a ref not wanting to send the player off. Totally incorrect.

Simon – The laws of the game say that a reckless challenge should be punished with a yellow card, and I think this certainly falls under the category of reckless. Whether there was intent there matters not, he has gone in with a high boot and caught the opponent, and should clearly have been shown a second yellow and therefore red card.

Overall verdict: Incorrect decision

Mark Stewart penalty shout

Paul – Doesn’t look like there is enough contact for the player to go down as easily as he did, I’ve seen them given but not this time and rightly so.

Gary – I saw this one a couple of times on Sportscene, and it’s true he gets his foot to the ball, but in the second phase of play he gets the player. So it should have been a penalty for me. Incorrect decision.

Robert – Looked like a penalty until you see it was actually a fantastic last ditch challenge, and a correct decision from the referee, who bear in mind, doesn’t have the replay facility like us. Correct call.

Mike – Incorrect – Should be a penalty – The defender played the ball, but not very hard and it looked like the attacker still might get to the ball for a shot. As the defender went down, he appeared to hook the defender with his other leg. This impeded the attackers run.

Simon – A classic case of “he got the ball” being wrongly shouted. The initial tackle is superbly timed from McLean, but after winning the ball he then clipped Mark Stewart’s ankle, preventing the Dundee man from challenging for the ball, which was still very much in play. A penalty should have been awarded.

Overall verdict: Incorrect decision.

Davidson disallowed goal

Paul – Difficult to tell from the angle of the camera but it looks like the striker is just off. No goal.

Gary – Nope I can’t see it clearly enough from the angle shown so I’d have to agree with the officials, the linesman would have a great view of it so I’ll agree he got this one right. Correct decision.

Robert – Davidson just moved too soon. Clearly offside, and a good decision from the referee.

Mike – Impossible to tell if Davidson was offside – Benefit of the doubt given to the referee – Correct.

Simon – Even from the camera angle we have, Davidson appears well offside, so a correct decision from the officials. By the way, can we have more money in the Scottish game, not to improve the quality of the play, just to get more cameras covering the matches? Makes our job easier.

Overall verdict: Correct decision

Inverness CT vs Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock penalty

Paul – Difficult to judge as the ball seems to be going away from Kelly but there is clear obstruction so a penalty but only just.

Gary – Yes of course it is, he’s hit it to the right past him and it’s obstruction. Right call. Correct Decision.

Robert – Correct decison. No real debate about it in my eyes, some may say it was soft but it was clearly a foul.

Mike – Defender appeared to simply set into the way in an attempt to halt the attacker – foul and a penalty – Correct.

Simon – No debate about this one in my eyes, a clumsy challenge from Ross Draper (who I suspect we’ll be seeing plenty of in these pages this season) and a clear penalty.

Overall verdict: Correct decision.

Owain Tudur-Jones red card

Paul – 100% red card.

Gary – Yeah it’s a red card, he’s stuck his head right into the players face, and actually tried to put it into a swinging motion. Correct decision.

Robert – Another correct decision. Fowler made a poor challenge but the reaction was over the top and violent. Simple red card.

Mike – There are absolutely no disputes about the red card, but I feel that Fowler should have had a yellow. If we are solely looking at if T-J should have been off, then the decision is correct. If we are taking the whole incident then the ref was wrong.

Simon – No possible debate to be had here, definite violent conduct which was correctly punished.

Overall verdict: Correct decision.

Motherwell vs St. Johnstone

Rowan Vine’s bookings

Paul – 1st one – Yep, tackle from behind = yellow card. 2nd one – Looks justified, came right across the body with no contact on the ball.

Gary – The first one was 100% a yellow, bad tackle from behind. The second one is another silly and reckless challenge; maybe he was too hyped up about his first start. Deserved to go, correct decision.

Robert – Both decisions again were correct. Two clumsy strikers’ challenges, and the ref called both correct.

Mike – Lucky not to be sent off for his first challenge. The second one was a booking without question. Overall a correct decision.

Simon – I’m with Mike, Vine was lucky not to be shown a straight red card for the first challenge. Having been booked for that, he certainly deserved a second yellow for the later challenge.

Overall verdict: Correct decision.

St. Johnstone penalty/Steven Hammel red card

Paul – Really can’t tell at all. Sorry.

Gary – Last man, stops him from one on one with the keeper, i.e a goal scoring chance. Yeah correct decision with the red card as well.

Robert – The penalty looks to have been the incorrect decision. From the little that we can see from the camera angle, it seems like the players came together and got tangled up. Certainly doesn’t look like there’s any foul in there. Red card, going with the logic for the penalty, then this is also a poor decision from the ref.

Mike – Penalty is correct as I believe there is sufficient contact to constitute a foul. Red card is incorrect, as I don’t think it was specifically denying a goal scoring opportunity – Darren Randolph might have been out quick enough to put the player off or collect the ball.

Simon – Once again I agree with Mike. From what we can see of the foul it looks like a clumsy tangle of legs, which is enough to constitute a penalty, but I’m far from convinced that this is a clear goalscoring opportunity, as I am fairly convinced that the ball would have gone through to Randolph anyway. A penalty but no red card.

Overall verdict: Penalty – Correct decision. Red Card – Incorrect decision.

Hibernian vs Hearts

David Templeton possible red card

Paul – That’s a kick out with intent, and a red card should have been shown, in my opinion.

Gary – Well I think we’ve seen the SFA take action already, and I’d have to agree, don’t kick out at an opponent, and it deserved to be a red card. It was just too much for him, he was buzzing right from the word go, and the atmosphere maybe took over. So for me the ref called it wrong, oddly enough, as he was in a great position. Incorrect decision.

Robert – The ref got this one wrong. Templeton clearly lashes out with his boot, everyone knows you can’t do that but the ref never punished him on this occasion.

Mike – As with the T-J red card this is a bit tricky. Templeton should definitely have been off but Hibs No 6 & 11 should have been booked for fouls.

Simon – A clear red card, not even as a Hearts fan can I defend this. There are some ugly challenges from the Hibs players to stop him, but that cannot exuse Templeton’s lash out and he should have been sent off.

Overall verdict: Incorrect decision.

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You can follow our five judges on Twitter. Mike – @19Mikey67, Robert – @RMcCracken91, Gary – @Linton1388, Paul – @Steakheed, Simon – @SFurnivall.