“Naismith Criticizes Penalty Calls in Celtic-Hearts Clash”
Steven Naismith has questioned the penalty awarded to Celtic against Hearts, comparing it to the one that was denied at the other end. Both decisions involved VAR. The first penalty was initially given after Lawrence Shankland’s header hit Liam Scales’ arm, but the referee reversed the decision upon review, citing the ball’s contact being high on the arm and the minimal distance between the defender and attacker.
In the second half, Celtic received a penalty following another VAR review. Nicolas Kuhn’s cross hit James Penrice’s arm, with little distance between them, which Naismith is criticizing. He argued that, according to the pre-season guidelines emphasizing distance, neither penalty should have been awarded.
Naismith commented, “I don’t think our penalty meets the guidelines due to the distance between the players, and I don’t think theirs should have been given either. The interpretation of the rules suggests that if there’s minimal distance, a handball shouldn’t be penalized. Both situations seem similar to me.”
Despite the controversial penalties, Naismith noted positives such as the team’s defensive performance, player attitude, and discipline. He also pointed out that they had good chances, particularly in the second half, which could have changed the game’s outcome.