Key Points
- Willie Collum, who is the head of refereeing for Scottish FA, made it clear that Hibernian was indeed given a penalty correctly against Rangers in an early-season game at Ibrox.
- Hibs emerged victorious against Rangers with a scoreline of 2-1 with a decisive role played by a penalty scored by Josh Campbell for Hibs.
- It is important to note that the decision to award a penalty was controversial right from the start and there were people who argued that Hibernian player Jason Kerr was guilty in the same way Vanja Dragojevic was in the scuffle that led to the penalty award.
- According to Martin McMillan who reported the matter for the Glasgow Times, Willie Collum made the revelation on the VAR Review Show that Premiership captains and clubs agreed with each other when it comes to off the ball holding and blocking during preseason and midseason meetings.
Glasgow (Glasgow Express) September 12, 2026 — Scottish FA head of refereeing Willie Collum has firmly defended the major refereeing decision that helped Hibernian secure a 2-1 victory against Rangers at Ibrox on the second weekend of the Premiership campaign. The match, which saw Hibs claim all three points following a decisive penalty converted by Josh Campbell, ignited widespread debate across Scottish football regarding the physical battles inside the penalty area. While sections of the football community argued that Hibernian defender Jason Kerr was equally culpable during his physical tussle with Vanja Dragojevic, refereeing authorities have maintained that the laws of the game were correctly applied.
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Why did Willie Collum insist the penalty decision at Ibrox was correct?
Addressing the controversy on the dedicated VAR Review Show, Willie Collum detailed the exact mechanics of the incident that forced match officials and video assistants into action. As reported by Martin McMillan of the Glasgow Times, Collum explained that when match officials view defensive actions where players ignore the ball entirely to block opponents, alarm bells should immediately ring.
As reported by Martin McMillan of the Glasgow Times, Willie Collum stated that:
“As soon as our match officials see this kind of image, alarm bells should be ringing for them, because this is not a player challenging for the ball. They are running towards an opponent, they are not interested in the ball behind them and their main, sole intent is to block their opponent.”
Expanding further on the nature of the physical contact, Collum addressed why the defending player’s arms were raised during the tussle. He noted that initial contact originated from the Rangers player, which subsequently caused the Hibs player to react defensively to clear space.
As reported by Martin McMillan of the Glasgow Times, Willie Collum added:
“I understand why the Hibs player’s arms come up. If somebody is running towards you like that and you are challenging for the ball, you are going to put your arms up to try to move that player away. I think it becomes mutual holding, but not in the first instance.”
Did Scottish Premiership captains agree with the penalty interpretation?
Seeking to quash lingering debate surrounding the standard of officiating, Collum revealed that top-flight players were already fully briefed on how such incidents would be judged. According to the refereeing chief, the interpretation implemented by the officials aligns completely with guidelines discussed extensively with club representatives and team captains ahead of and during the campaign.
As reported by Martin McMillan of the Glasgow Times, Willie Collum stated:
“Nobody in the room thought this wasn’t a penalty. The reason the people in attendance thought it was a penalty was because, first of all, the player is not looking at the ball. If you are not looking at the ball you are not going to challenge for the ball. You are only interested in the opponent.”
Furthermore, Collum stressed that incidents of this nature fall squarely on the shoulders of the players on the pitch rather than the officials in the middle or the VAR hub. He emphasized that ongoing grappling inside the drop zone leaves referees with no alternative under current protocol.
As reported by Martin McMillan of the Glasgow Times, Willie Collum concluded:
“One key point I want to emphasise, on which we were in complete agreement with the clubs and the captains – the clubs in pre-season and the captains at a meeting during the season – is that this needs to be impactful. This is clearly in the drop zone and that is what makes it really clear for us to award a penalty kick.”
Background of the particular development
The intense scrutiny surrounding penalty decisions and defensive holding in the Scottish Premiership stems from a wider, sustained initiative by the Scottish Football Association to increase transparency and consistency in refereeing. Following the appointment of Willie Collum as the head of refereeing, the SFA introduced regular broadcast features such as the VAR Review Show to explain controversial weekend incidents, ease mounting pressure on match officials, and foster clearer communication with clubs, managers, and players. Incidents involving penalty box grappling have historically been a grey area in domestic football, prompting governing bodies to collaborate directly with team captains prior to the season to establish strict thresholds on off-the-ball blocking and holding.
This authoritative clarification from the Scottish FA head of refereeing places immense pressure on defenders across the Scottish Premiership to drastically alter their tactical approach when defending set-pieces and crosses. Because match officials and video assistant referees have been explicitly backed by player leadership groups to clamp down on players who ignore the ball to block opponents, teams can expect a higher volume of penalties awarded for grappling inside the drop zone. For clubs like Rangers and their competitors, defensive coaches must immediately drill disciplined marking habits into their squads. Failure to eliminate off-the-ball holding risks conceding decisive, match-changing penalties in tightly contested fixtures, directly impacting league standings and championship aspirations as the domestic season progresses.
