Honest Mistakes 2025-26 - The Final Whistle

The season is a wrap, ending in confusion, misunderstanding and rage. Normal week, then.

The final whistle is blown! These jokes write themselves.

The last batch of contentious issues of the season get reviewed by the professional, neutral and expert Yorkshire Whistler.

For next season, as always, I am at the mercy of the goodwill of the Yorkshire Whistler who gives his free time to analyse these decisions for us, and could he possibly include Heart of Midlothian matches going forward?

13/05/26 Motherwell vs Celtic

Incident 1

Referee: John Beaton

Game Minute: 44^th

Score At Time: 1-1

Incident: Ward and Maeda challenge for a high ball

Outcome: No decision

Evidence: Provided

Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:

Ward & Maeda challenge for a high ball

IOD: No decision

A long ball is played over the top and Maeda with his back to goal is vying to bring the ball down. Ward, the keeper is entitled to try and win or clear the ball, which he does by electing to jump forwards and punch the ball. This forceful momentum sees him reach above Maeda’s head to make contact with the ball and then immediately after there is a collision between Ward and Maeda. Crucially Ward does make contact with the ball at same time as connecting with Maeda in my opinion and is definitely entitled to attempt the punch. As a striker, Maeda will know the ball is inside the 18 if box and will have been expecting the keeper to come and ‘take everything’.

Due to contact made on the ball, I would not be expecting a foul in this situation.

Verdict: CORRECT decision.

Expected Points Outcome: No impact

Incident 2

Referee: John Beaton

Game Minute: 90^th

Score At Time: 2-2

Incident: Nicholson challenges Trusty for a high ball in the box

Outcome: No decision, penalty to Celtic upon VAR review for handball

Evidence:

At 4:44

Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:

Nicholson challenges Trusty in box

IOD: No decision by on field referee and then penalty to Celtic for handball on VAR review

A long throw into the box sees two Motherwell players and Trusty all jump together to win the header and at full speed it appears a closely competed header challenge is won by Nicholson, and a corner is to be awarded.

However, on replay there is a question of whether Nicholson raised left hand makes contact with the ball first and if so, does this make his body shape unnaturally larger and not justifiable - which would be the criteria needed to penalise the accidental handball as an offence.

I suspect this decision has split opinion as it is very difficult to know with 100% certainty if the ball hits his hand first or even at all.

Nicholson’s hand is certainly raised next to his head, but I don’t feel this is a premeditated decision and perhaps a consequence of the contact coming from Trusty as he jumps.

His arm isn’t particularly extended outwards and so you could also argue his body shape hasn’t been made unnaturally large even if it catches his hand first.

It is certainly not a clear and obvious error and on balance, I feel the on field referee made the correct call and VAR didn’t need to get involved.

Verdict: INCORRECT decision - no handball offence the expected outcome.

Expected Points Outcome: Celtic +1.23 xPts

16/05/26 Falkirk vs The Rangers

Incident 1

Referee: Duncan Nicholson

Game Minute: 44^th

Score At Time: 1-3

Incident: Corner kick for Falkirk

Outcome: Penalty to Falkirk for handball

Evidence:

At 2:40

Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:

Corner kick to Falkirk

IOD: No decision initially but after VAR review, penalty awarded to Falkirk for handball offence

As a corner swings over a Rangers defender jumps to head the ball and also swings his left arm upwards. Upon replay it appears that the ball makes contact with this raised hand rather than his head. Difficult to spot in real time but replays show the arm seems to make body shape unnaturally larger and so a handball offence appears to have been committed.

Verdict: CORRECT decision.

Expected Points Outcome: No impact

Incident 2

Referee: Duncan Nicholson

Game Minute: 79^th

Score At Time: 2-4

Incident: Chermiti goes down in the box

Outcome: Penalty to TRFC

Evidence:

At 4:53

Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:

Chermiti goes down in the box

IOD: Penalty awarded to Rangers

As Chermiti makes a diagonal run across the 18 yard box, the Falkirk defender leans into him from behind and sends the Rangers player tumbling to the floor.

Although the contact is not that strong, Chermiti is running at speed, and it is a clear shoulder into the back of the Rangers player. Although Chermiti goes to ground quite easily, I do feel a foul has been committed here.

Verdict: CORRECT decision.

Expected Points Outcome: No impact

16/05/26 Celtic vs Heart of Midlothian

Incident 1

Referee: Don Robertson

Game Minute: 4^th

Score At Time: 0-0

Incident: Shankland and Scales challenge for the ball

Outcome: No decision

Evidence: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002wpcw/sportscene-premiership-highlights-202526-16052026?seriesId=unsliced

At 5:03

Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:

Shankland goes down in the box

IOD: No decision

As a throw in comes into the box Shankland & Scales compete. There appears to be a very brief and minimal holding action by Scales, and this doesn’t impact Shankland and appears to be what I would deem expected contact. Shankland drops to the floor; I suspect more in hope that anything else.

Verdict: CORRECT decision.

Expected Points Outcome: No impact

Incident 2

Referee: Don Robertson

Game Minute: 45^th

Score At Time: 0-1

Incident: Kyziridis blocks a cross into the box

Outcome: Penalty to Celtic

Evidence: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002wpcw/sportscene-premiership-highlights-202526-16052026?seriesId=unsliced

At 10:50

Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:

Kyziridis blocks cross into the box

IOD: Penalty to Celtic for handball offence

As a low cross is driven into the Hearts box, Kyziridis slides to block and his left arm is slightly extended. This extension of the arm sees the cross hit it and it blocks the cross from reaching its intended target.

Although clearly accidental handball, the arm does make his body shape unnaturally larger and as it is behind his body, it is deemed to be an unjustifiable shape and so the penalty is awarded.

Verdict: CORRECT decision.

Expected Points Outcome: No impact

Incident 3

Referee: Don Robertson

Game Minute: 74^th

Score At Time: 1-1

Incident: Osmand challenged by Kent

Outcome: No decision

Evidence: Provided

Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:

Osmand challenged by Kent

IOD: No decision

Kent is the last covering defender and makes a last-ditch tackle. If he gets this wrong, there is a possible ‘DOGSO’ decision to be made.

Upon review, although Kent does make contact with Osmand and trip him, crucially he actually plays the ball first. As he plays the ball before catching Osmand, this tackle is correctly not penalised.

Verdict: CORRECT decision.

Expected Points Outcome: No impact

Incident 4

Referee: Don Robertson

Game Minute: 87^th

Score At Time: 1-1

Incident: Maeda scores for Celtic

Outcome: Goal ruled out for offside but awarded after Var review

Evidence: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002wpcw/sportscene-premiership-highlights-202526-16052026?seriesId=unsliced

At 21:29

Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:

Maeda scores for Celtic

IOD: Goal disallowed on field but then goal

Given after VAR review

A ball is threaded down Celtic’s left flank before being squared to Maeda who scores from close range.

In the build-up Maeda appears to be marginally offside as the pass is played out wide to his teammate and it is this offside position that the assistant referee appears to raise his flag for as the goal then crosses the line.

However, upon replay, as the ball is played out wide to Maeda’s teammate, Maeda himself is moving away from the area where the ball is played and so is deemed to be in a non-active position during this first phase of play. As the cross then gets played into the box, in what is now a second phase of play, Maeda is now in an onside position behind the ball as it is played across and so is correctly adjudged by VAR to be onside as he guides the ball into the net.

Verdict: CORRECT decision.

Expected Points Outcome: No impact

Incident 5

Referee: Don Robertson

Game Minute: 90^th

Score At Time: 2-1

Incident: Osmand scores for Celtic

Outcome: Goal to Celtic and games does not restart

Evidence: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002wpcw/sportscene-premiership-highlights-202526-16052026?seriesId=unsliced

At 24:54

Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:

Osmand scores for Celtic

IOD: Goal to Celtic and the game does then not restart.

As Osmand scores the goal deep in stoppage time which effectively confirms the outcome of the game, a pitch invasion ensues and the referee decides the match is complete and does not restart with a kick off.

Under IFAB laws, the referee has the authority to complete the game without having to restart play. The referee was entitled under Law 5 and Law 7 to stop proceedings and declare the match complete.

There have been other fixtures historically that have also been deemed to have been completed when interrupted by crowd disorder pragmatically:

• if the remaining time is negligible,

• the result is already effectively decided,

• and restarting would create safety risks,

So, in conclusion I have no concerns or issues with how this fixture concluded

Verdict: NO ISSUE WITH GAME CONCLUSION.

Expected Points Outcome: No impact

Summary

My thanks, as always, to the Yorkshire Whistler for another stellar season of service.

It is a shame that the final matches of the season had some key calls go wrong. Celtic’s victory at Hibernian was marred by several calls that did not go Celtic’s way.

Motherwell have been unfortunate with the last-minute handball against Celtic, as have Heart of Midlothian as a result. What the Yorkshire Whistler doesn’t know, as revealed by James on The Huddle Breakdown podcast following that game, that in Scotland, a previous IFAB clarification to the handball law concerning having your hand above your shoulders, has been maintained in the SFA guidelines to referees. By the laws as they are interpreted in Scotland, that was a penalty, however harsh you may feel it was.

As we know in Scotland, the more revealing aspects of human behaviour are in the reaction to the thing, as opposed to the thing itself. The brief pitch invasion that followed Callum Osmand’s remarkable title clinching goal has generated huge coverage and wild allegations. Please reread the Yorkshire Whistler’s deliberations – all the local press had to do was ask a neutral, professional expert. That said, it is incumbent upon the local FA to end the nonsense and clearly confirm what happened.

I will do a mop up of the season and refereeing, and reveal the ongoing trends in YW outcomes, over the summer.

Overall, The Rangers have been estimated to have been hampered by incorrect calls to the tune of -1.73 expected points, and Celtic -0.13 xPts, a difference of 1.6 xPts.

Celtic eventually led The Rangers by 10 points after 38 matches completed.