Rangers Discredited My Bobby Madden Citing Misinformation And Subpar Reporting.
Former SPFL referee Bobby Madden has weighed in on the decision not to award Rangers a penalty in their clash against Celtic. Madden’s detailed explanation sheds light on the intricacies of the VAR process, emphasising that, despite Rangers fans’ grievances and conspiratorial whispers, a penalty was never on the cards due to an offside identified in the build-up to the incident.
According to Madden, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) would have reviewed the potential penalty, and even if it had initially been given on the field, the Attacking Phase Possession (APP) check would have revealed the offside, nullifying the penalty decision. This multi-step process, while complex, aims to maintain fairness and transparency in the game’s officiating.
“Another Old Firm game has come with its fair share of controversy and the usual blend of misinformation and poor reporting. In my view, we witnessed a clear punishable handball offence. Such incidents are notoriously difficult for referees to detect, and thus the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system is tasked with reviewing all decisions in the penalty area.
Had the penalty been awarded on the field, it would have been subsequently overturned once VAR reviewed the Attacking Phase Possession (APP). Since no initial award was made, VAR would have examined the play; if VAR determined a penalty was warranted, they would have also reviewed the APP to ascertain any offside positions. To prevent any misunderstanding, an on-field review by the referee would be necessitated to make the final call. If the referee on review agreed with the penalty, they would then highlight the offside to reset play accordingly.
If, however, the referee concluded that no penalty occurred, the game would resume from the point of interruption. Admittedly, this process can seem laborious, but it exists to ensure clarity in the decision-making process.
In essence, VAR did not believe a penalty was due. The later release of an offside image served to justify the decision not to intervene. Ultimately, it seems the correct decision was made.
A point of clarification: if no offside had occurred in the APP and a penalty had been given, it would not constitute a cautionable offence. It certainly wouldn’t be grounds for a second yellow card for handball, contrary to what some might argue.
I hope this clarification is helpful, and I wish everyone a happy New Year.”