Steven Naismith reckons John Beaton simply gambled on his big Alfredo Morelos penalty non-award.
The referee booked the striker for diving - a decision Rangers have now appealed - during the Premiership leaders' 1-0 win over Livingston on Wednesday night.
Morelos went to score an 87th minute his manager Steven Gerrard was sent off after confronting Beaton over the non-award at half-time.
Hearts star Naismith reckons the whistler's positioning was off and that he and his assistants made the wrong call.
He told PLZ Soccer: "From watching the game I think you can say John Beaton’s position isn’t great for seeing the contact.
“Then he’s relying on his assistants at the side of the pitch and when you see the pictures you can see him mouthing as to whether they’ve seen it or not.
“It’s one where they’ve not seen it and gambled on no penalty. It’s a wrong decision.
‘Everything that unfolds after that is a consequence of that bad decision. It’s too late to rectify and it explodes after that.”
