Why Alistair Johnston Celtic 'handball' penalty SHOULDN'T have been given as VAR intervention contradicts 2 IFAB rules

It was a miserable day for Celtic as they slumped to defeat to Kilmarnock - but things could have been even worse had Alistair Johnston been pulled up by VAR.

Former Rangers and Kilmarnock hero Kris Boyd led the pundits critical of referee David Munro and Greg Aitken in the VAR room following the Canada internationals block on the line from Corrie Ndaba's low drive - which seemed destined for the bottom corner before the block. In the end Derek McInnes' men would level after Matt O'Riley's opener was cancelled out by Nat Phillips own goal - before Matt Kennedy netted a second half winner.

And despite Boyd's complaints Munro would only have been sent to the monitor had it been judged to be a clear and obvious mistake by IFAB - which former Hibs and Hearts star Michael Stewart insisted it was not. He told BBC Sportscene: "I couldn't tell you definitively (if it was handball). It looks to me like it is probably off his back or high up on his shoulder. I think it would be extremely harsh if that was to be given as a penalty.

"In real time it just looked like it was a wonderful block from Alistair Johnston - which it was - but it looked more like it was a sliding tackle that he made. But it would have been extremely harsh if that was given as a penalty kick."

Furthermore, IFAB state that there is an exception within the handball rule for a defensive player sliding to make a block. It is stated that it is generally considered impossible to make a sliding movement without using an arm on the ground for support.

Thus, the use of an arm for support while sliding is a "justifiable" action for that particular body movement, and therefore a ball which strikes a support arm would not be considered an "unnatural" position even if