The Scottish Football Association's Key Match Incident (KMI) panel has determined that Celtic were incorrectly awarded a match-winning penalty in their clash with Motherwell on May 13.
The incident occurred during stoppage time at Fir Park with the score tied at 2-2.
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Referee John Beaton initially allowed play to continue but reversed his decision after VAR official Andrew Dallas prompted an on-field review.
Kelechi Iheanacho converted the 99th-minute penalty, securing a 3-2 victory for Celtic.
The win allowed the Hoops to clinch the William Hill Premiership title three days later with a 3-1 victory over Hearts, who finished two points behind them.
Panel's Assessment
The independent panel evaluated the Sam Nicholson handball incident and concluded that the on-field decision should have stood.
The majority disagreed with the VAR intervention.
"The majority (2:1) of the panel deemed the on-field decision of play on to be correct.
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Two panel members felt VAR was incorrect to intervene and the penalty was incorrectly awarded for handball after OFR (on-field review)," the KMI verdict stated.
The panel acknowledged the difficulty of the call, noting it was "a particularly tough decision that all referees would struggle with" and "the type of judgement where technology is needed to support officials."
The controversial decision drew sharp criticism from prominent football figures, including former England striker Gary Lineker, who called it "might be the worst VAR decision I've seen."
The fallout led to severe repercussions for match officials.
The Scottish Senior Football Referees Association condemned the abuse and threats directed at referees, including the leaking of personal details online.
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Referee John Beaton was placed under police protection, and the Scottish Professional Football League launched a disciplinary investigation into unacceptable conduct across five season-ending matches.
