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Daily Record
Sport
Steven Mair

4 controversial Livingston vs Celtic incidents reviewed as Nick Walsh calls go under the microscope

Celtic banished their River Almond agony in style with a 3-1 win and a dominant performance to boot over Livingston.

But some fans and pundits questioned a number of refereeing decisions in both directions by official Nick Walsh and his team.

Two penalty calls went under the microscope as well as a very dodgy corner decision that led to the away side's opener from Daizen Maeda.

And that was all just in the first half while some reckoned there was a handball in the build up to Celtic's second, an own goal just a minute after the restart.

Here's the verdict on all four decisions using the wording of football's global rule-makers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

The penalty that was

Maeda's strike in the 14th minute was blocked by the arm of Jack Fitzwater.

Walsh pointed to the spot and though it was inconsequential, as Callum McGregor rattled the post with his spot-kick, it remains a big talking point.

IFAB's guidance on handball states that referees "must judge the 'validity' of the hand/arm’s position in relation to what a player is doing with their body."

Fitzwater was on the ground and used his arm to support his body weight as he prepared to get back up off the surface.

Maeda's strike is handled by Fitzwater and a penalty is given (PA)

Handball still remains subjective but it seems harsh to determine Fitzwater was making his body "unnaturally bigger", as the rules state. However, Walsh may well argue that the defender moved to get up, then went to ground again to block the shot.

Sky pundit James McFadden was right to point out that IFAB removed a paragraph from the handball law for this season – one which specifically dealt with players who have fallen to ground and which would have completely exonerated Fitzwater in this situation.

It makes the call even more subjective and entirely up to the opinion of referee Walsh - it's debatable but not a howler.

The 'corner'

Open and shut, this one.

Anthony Ralston clearly touches the ball out of play and there's no contact from a Livi man down the byline. Goal kick was the correct call.

Instead it was given as a corner, which led to Carl Starfelt's saved effort and the resulting follow up and opening goal from Maeda.

There's a chance Ralston's body blocked the linesman's view - David Martindale's post-match comments certainly suggest he acknowledged the wrong decision.

Whatever the explanation, the officials should have got this call right.

The penalty that wasn't

It was Celtic's turn to feel wronged by a handball penalty call later in the half.

Again it was home centre-back Fitzwater who was in the firing line, this time of Tom Rogic.

This 'handball' wasn't given (SNS Group)

Fitzwater is unlucky as the ball comes up and onto his bicep, just outside of the 'safe' area drawn from the armpit and above.

The range makes it seem harsh but the way his arm is positioned could be seen as making his body unnaturally bigger, with law 12 stating an offence if the position of the arm is not "not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement".

Again, so much of the handball section of Law 12 is rooted in subjectivity but having his arm up by his head meant Fitzwater was running a risk.

Rogic 'handball'

Martindale reckoned Celtic midfielder Rogic "caught the ball" in the build-up to their second goal.

That might be a bit over the top but still there's a decision to be made.

The Aussie's arms are by his side so that takes "unnaturally bigger" out of the equation.

The law states that deliberate handball in the build-up remains an offence, but it's hard to argue the Aussie handled it on purpose.

The IFAB handball guidance then states there's an offence "if a player scores immediately after the ball touches their hand or arm, even if accidental".

But it wasn't Rogic who scored, and it wasn't immediate either. Several passes later it was Nicky Devlin who knocked the ball into his own net.

A recent, and more extreme, example of this in action was Duncan Watmore's handball in the build-up to a goal for Middlesbrough in the FA Cup against Manchester United.

VAR allowed the goal to stand, deeming it to be accidental despite coming directly before a goal, and the same logic probably applies here.

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