Controversial Celtic penalty leads to call for rule clarity as SFA release statement on matter

The hosts appeared to have done enough to earn a point against the champions and deny them top spot in the Premiership after a powerful David Watson header on 82 minutes had cancelled out Daizen Maeda’s opener on 57 minutes.

However, Celtic were given the chance to net the winner from the spot after referee John Beaton, on the advice of VAR Matthew McDermid, awarded a penalty in the final minute of stoppage time after Lewis Mayo had handled a goalbound James Forrest effort.

Kettlewell was left incensed by the award, claiming that the shot deflected up off Robbie Deas and that the decision goes against what referees advised to managers and players at the start of the season.

“I need a question answered,” said Kettlewell in his post-match press conference. “We sit at a meeting and we all sit there and we spend all this time talking about rules, if it ricochets at such close proximity, the ball's not going into the net, etc, etc, etc.

“I was told that if it ricochets from half-a-yard - and by the way I've been generous - between two of our players and it ricochets up off somebody's hand, then we're not going to give them any penalties. That's what I was told, so I need to ask the question again. Somebody will need to tell me why that's given as a penalty today ... seems like we're in the same old arguments all the time.

“We're going in circles. I need to watch what I say before they start throwing sanctions or match bans or whatever. I don't want that. I'm immensely proud of the players, but please, I need somebody to answer that question.

‘I don’t make the rules’

“We'll go through this bit, we'll make a phone call tomorrow and we'll find out why that was given as a penalty based on us being told at the start of the season that if it ricochets from that close proximity. Fair enough if his arm’s outstretched, fair enough if it's a direct kick, but if it ricochets off someone, an opposing player or your team-mate from that distance, and as I say the ball is going to cross goal, it's not going into the net, why is that given us a penalty?

“I don't make up the rules here. I only try to show a wee bit of respect when we're told that that's the decision. We didn't deserve that today, but I need to bring it back because it's obviously going to be the talking point at the end of the game.”

The Scottish Football Association released guidance after the match explaining why the award was given. It read: "The penalty was awarded for handball by the Kilmarnock defender whose arm is in an unnatural position. A deflection doesn’t always negate a handball offence. He doesn’t know where ball is going and his arm is up in an unnatural position to block a shot."