Big increase in wrong VAR calls, finds review panel

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This is the first full season with VAR in the Scottish Premiership

Thirteen decisions have been deemed incorrect by the Scottish FA's VAR independent review panel during the second round of Premiership fixtures.

It represents a significant rise from the three errors reported across the opening round of top flight games.

The findings say VAR was wrong not to recommend a review of Celtic defender Alastair Johnston's handball in the last Old Firm derby, but the panel also noted an offside in the build-up which would have ruled out a penalty award to Rangers on 30 December.

It also suggests two mistakes were made during Rangers' win over Dundee on 9 December - Kilmarnock avoided two red cards and Hearts were denied two penalties.

The panel, made up of former players, managers and coaches "guided by experts on the laws of the game", was set up by the Scottish FA for the first full campaign with the video technology in place.

BBC Scotland understands the panel found the following calls wrong.

VAR correct to recommend an on-field review for a potential penalty for Hearts' Liam Boyce. Decision should have been penalty. (Motherwell v Hearts, 11 Nov)
VAR should have recommended an on-field review after Rangers' Ross McCausland was awarded a penalty. Decision should then been no penalty (Livingston v Rangers, 12 Nov)
VAR should have recommended an on-field review for a potential red card for Kilmarnock's Will Dennis. Decision should have been red card. (Kilmarnock v Hearts, 2 Dec)
VAR should have recommended an on-field review for a foul in the build-up to Motherwell's Bevis Mugabi's goal. Decision should have been disallow goal. (Motherwell v Dundee, 2 Dec)
VAR should have recommended an on-field review for a potential red card for Kilmarnock's Marley Watkins. Decision should have been red card. (Aberdeen v Kilmarnock, 6 Dec)
VAR should not have recommended an on-field review for a penalty after a foul on Rangers' Abdallah Sima. On-field decision of no penalty should have stood. (Rangers v Dundee, 9 Dec)
VAR should not have recommended an on-field review after Rangers' Jose Cifuentes was awarded a yellow card. On-field decision of yellow card should have stood. (Rangers v Dundee, 9 Dec)
VAR should have recommended an on-field review for a potential red card for Hearts' Beni Baningime. Decision should have been red card. (Aberdeen v Hearts, 9 Dec)
VAR should have recommended an on-field penalty review for a handball offence by Celtic's Alastair Johnston. Panel noted an offside in the build-up so decision should have remained to not award penalty. (Celtic v Rangers, 30 Dec)
VAR should have recommended an on-field review for a penalty for a foul on Hearts' Alan Forrest. Decision should have been to award a penalty. (Hearts v Ross County, 30 Dec)
VAR should not have recommended an on-field review for a penalty for a handball offence against Rangers' John Souttar. On-field decision to not award a penalty should have stood. (Rangers v Kilmarnock, 2 Jan)
VAR should not have recommended an on-field review for a potential foul in the build-up to Graham Carey's goal for St Johnstone. On-field decision to award a goal should have stood. (St Johnstone v Aberdeen, 24 Jan)
VAR should have recommended an on-field review for a potential foul in the build-up to Zach Robinson's goal for Dundee. Decision should have been to disallow goal. (Livingston v Dundee, 27 Jan)

Across the first two rounds of games there have been 785 VAR reviews, with the majority "silent checks" requiring no intervention.

The latest figures released by the SFA say 51 checks resulted in on-field reviews while another 24 have been factual overturns (offside, inside/outside penalty area), adding 89.3% of decisions are "considered correct by Referee Operations", with that increasing to 97.6% when including VAR interventions.