The Scottish FA’s Key Match Incident (KMI) panel has ruled that Hearts should have been awarded a penalty during their 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw with Motherwell. The decision related to a 66th-minute challenge involving Alexandros Kyziridis and Motherwell defender Tawanda Maswanhise.
Referee Steven McLean initially did not award a penalty but reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor following a VAR intervention. After the review, play continued without a spot kick being given. The KMI panel later concluded by a 2-1 majority that the final outcome was incorrect and that Hearts should have received a penalty.
The ruling has added to ongoing debate around refereeing standards and the use of VAR in Scottish football. Recent KMI reviews involving Hearts, Rangers and Celtic have repeatedly revisited disputed penalties and goals, keeping attention on consistency in decision-making. Reporting in May 2026 highlighted growing scrutiny of how VAR interventions are handled, particularly in high-pressure matches involving clubs competing near the top of the table.
Sources
Hearts were wrongly denied a penalty in the 66th minute of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Motherwell, with the Scottish FA’s Key Match Incident panel later ruling that referee Steven McLean should have awarded a spot-kick after being sent to the monitor. The incident came when Alexandros Kyziridis went down in the box under a challenge from Tawanda Maswanhise while trying to go short to receive a corner. McLean had been asked by VAR to review the challenge, but he stuck with his on-field decision of...
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