The difference between Celtic and Hearts penalty claims, as one analyst tells Steven Naismith he missed a crucial point.

Was there any difference between the two penalty claims? One commentator believes so.

According to Michael Stewart, Steven Naismith is correct to be upset that his team did not receive a penalty for handball before Celtic. However, he has overlooked one important issue.

In the 2-0 defeat at Parkhead, whistler Colin Steven first gave a spot-kick to Hearts. However, following a VAR review, he overruled it, allowing Liam Scales to off the hook after Lawrence Shankland’s header touched him in the arm. The second half saw a dramatic turnaround, with Celtic appealing for a handball by James Penrice in the Hearts box. This time, Steven did not provide it, but was summoned to the VAR monitor and, after a review, pointed to the location.

After the game, Naismith felt he should not have received a penalty. He did, however, argue that if Celtic won a penalty, his club should have gotten one as well. But commentator Stewart believes there was a difference between the two. Here’s what three BBC pundits said about the happenings.

Michael Stewart: “I totally see where the Hearts manager is coming from. But the difference was that it probably hit Liam Scales far enough up the arm to nullify everything else. It hits his shoulder, thus it is not a penalty regardless of the remainder of the situation.

“Penrice, the comparison that Allan Preston was making with Connor Barron.” Barron’s arm was tightly pressed against his chest. Penrice’s are not.

James Penrice from Hearts is penalized for handball against Celtic.

“Look, it’s a painful and difficult one from a Hearts standpoint. It’s perfectly normal that you’ll want to make analogies. But the difference was that it struck Scales on the shoulder and Penrice directly on the hand.”

Stephen Craigan:We initially assumed it was a penalty kick (to Hearts), but there was a lot of irritation over how long it took – I believe – to make the correct ruling. I do not mind the length of time as long as the choice is correct. It was so near and perfect that it simply hit Liam Scales’ upper arm or t-shirt line. He doesn’t realize it. He knows nothing about it.

“I believe there is an SPFL or sponsor badge. This is a real decision. Supporters will definitely think, ‘Factual decisions, why does the referee have to go look at it?’ Factual rulings on handballs only count for goals, not penalty kicks. That is why Colin Steven had to go and look. That’s the protocol. That is what he must follow.