Latest News About Celtic Motherwell Var Penalty Ruling

Here’s the latest on the Celtic vs. Motherwell VAR penalty ruling.

• A Scottish FA KMI refereeing panel has ruled that Celtic should not have been awarded the last-minute penalty at Motherwell, with VAR intervention deemed to have produced the wrong outcome in that specific incident. This was published around May 21-22, 2026, as the title race neared its climax. [source coverage indicates the panel’s position that the on-field decision should not have been overturned by VAR][3]

• The same period saw broader discussion around a separate Motherwell-related penalty decision involving Hearts, where the panel also labeled that call as incorrect, further affecting the final standings. This contextualizes the ongoing scrutiny of VAR in near-title-deciding matches.[3]

• Some outlets and Celtic-focused pages reported that the KMI panel initially backed Celtic’s penalty in March, but the May review reversed or clarified that stance, highlighting how VAR reversals or confirmations can shift interpretations as investigations proceed. This illustrates the evolving nature of the panel’s conclusions over time.[1][2]

• Media reaction to the May 13-21 period emphasized criticism of the VAR decision, with pundits and outlets labeling it among the more controversial calls in recent Scottish football, especially given its potential impact on the title race against Hearts.[5][7]

If you’d like, I can pull a concise timeline of the key events and provide a side-by-side comparison of initial on-field calls vs. VAR interventions and the panel rulings, with direct quotes from the official statements. I can also look for any official SFA press releases or PDFs for precise language and dates.