Celtic’s disallowed goal against Hibs has sparked significant controversy this weekend.
Hibs handed Celtic their second defeat of the season after VAR ruled that Hoops’ Daizen Maeda’s goal was invalid, with the video referee claiming Alistair Johnston failed to prevent the ball from crossing Hibs’ byeline.
The decision cost the Bhoys three crucial points in their title defense and left Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers furious. Rodgers confronted the match officials immediately after the final whistle, accusing them of ‘guessing’ the decision.
However, the SFA has since clarified its stance on the matter, and their explanation is unlikely to sit well with Celtic supporters.
SFA explains how VAR reviewed Celtic’s disallowed goal vs Hibs
Premier Sports’ Emma Dodds shared the SFA’s statement after the game, as Neil Lennon, Marvin Bartley, and Alan Hutton analyzed the controversial decision.
Dodds revealed, “The SFA have said that the guidance on this disallowed goal, is that the VAR check was from the eighteen-yard line camera, which is this one [shown in the footage below], and it showed that the ball had crossed the byline. So in their opinion, this is concluded.”
SFA’s explanation raises more questions about Celtic’s disallowed goal
The SFA’s clarification appears to have created more confusion than clarity. Even when examining the angle used by VAR, it remains inconclusive whether the ball had fully crossed the byeline.
Alan Hutton noted that, even from that angle, it’s still ‘hard to see’ the full ball. Marvin Bartley acknowledged that ‘some of the ball’ was out of play but couldn’t definitively confirm if the entire ball had crossed the line. Neil Lennon described the evidence provided by the SFA as ‘inconclusive.’
As it stands, uncertainty still surrounds whether VAR made the correct call in this instance.
