Derek McInnes, the manager of Rangers Football Club, has received a sanction that bars him from the touchline for his first three domestic fixtures of the new campaign. The penalty stems from comments he made about the officiating in a match that took place while he was still the head coach of Hearts. The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has imposed a four‑match ban, with one of those matches suspended, after reviewing his remarks about a controversial penalty awarded in the closing moments of Motherwell’s game against Celtic.
The incident in question occurred during the penultimate fixture of the previous season. Celtic were awarded a penalty after video‑assistant referee (VAR) Andrew Dallas advised referee John Beaton that Sam Nicholson had handled the ball in the box.
The penalty was converted with the final kick of the match, giving Celtic a decisive win that ultimately helped them clinch the title on the final day. McInnes described the decision as "actually quite disgusting" and said that, although he was commenting on a game that did not involve his own side, it felt as though "it was us against everybody." Rangers have announced that they intend to appeal the disciplinary action. In a club statement the organization argued that McInnes’s criticism was directed at a specific decision rather than an attack on the competence or integrity of officials as a whole. The statement emphasized that his comments did not allege bias, incompetence or dishonesty, and that they were made in the context of a broader debate that many pundits and fans were already having about the use of VAR in Scottish football.
Because of the suspension, the 55‑year‑old manager will have to watch the season‑opening match against Dundee United from the stands on 31 July, a game that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. He will also miss the subsequent Premiership fixture at Ibrox against Hibernian and the League Cup second‑round tie scheduled for the weekend of 15‑16 August. The fourth match of the ban is conditional; it will only be activated if McInnes breaches the same rule again before the end of the current season. The timing of the sanction is noteworthy because it follows a similar punishment handed to former Motherwell player Elliot Watt, who was also given a four‑match ban by the SFA after describing the same Celtic penalty as the "worst VAR decision in history" on social media.
Motherwell themselves were fined £5,000 for a club‑issued post about the incident. Both Watt and McInnes were charged under disciplinary rule 72, which prohibits any public commentary that suggests bias, incompetence or personal attack on match officials. After securing his first friendly victory in charge of Rangers, a 2‑0 win over Saint‑Ettiene, McInnes expressed disappointment with the severity of the punishment. "I’m very disappointed.
I didn’t think the punishment fitted the crime," he told Sky Sports. He praised the club for standing behind him and noted that the appeal process had already been triggered. "I asked to meet in person, but obviously it was done via Zoom. I’m pleased with what I said today and I’m pleased with the support from the club and I feel really strongly about it," he added.
McInnes admitted that he was unsure how the appeal would affect the allocation of the suspended match, saying, "I don’t know all the ins and outs yet." The club’s official response reiterated the same points that appeared in the earlier statement: the manager’s remarks were aimed at a single, match‑defining decision, not at the officials themselves. The club also highlighted that the independent Key Match Incident Panel later confirmed the referee’s original call was correct and that VAR should not have intervened.
This, the club argued, demonstrates that the criticism was shared by many commentators across the United Kingdom and that similar language has previously been used in Scottish football without resulting in harsher penalties. Rangers’ legal team raised concerns about consistency and precedent, questioning why other individuals who used comparable phrasing escaped any sanction. They argued that respect for officials and legitimate scrutiny are not mutually exclusive, and that managers, players and clubs must be allowed to speak openly about pivotal decisions if Scottish football wishes to improve standards and maintain public trust. "Scrutiny, transparency and accountability should be seen as part of improving standards, not as a threat to them," the statement concluded.
Sky Sports analyst Luke Shanley explained the background of disciplinary rule 72, noting that it bars head coaches from publicly criticizing a referee’s performance. He recapped the sequence of events: Hearts had just beaten Falkirk 3‑0, putting them on the cusp of the league title, while Celtic were playing Motherwell.
The late penalty awarded to Celtic after a VAR review swung the title race, setting up a winner‑takes‑all showdown on the final day. McInnes’s comments about that decision triggered the SFA’s notice of complaint, leading to the current sanction. The upcoming fixtures for Rangers, as listed by the club, are as follows: - 31 July: Dundee United (away) – 8 pm, live on Sky Sports - 9 August: Hibernian (home) – 4 pm - 22 August: St Mirren (home) – 3 pm - 29 August: Aberdeen (away) – 3 pm - 2 September: Falkirk (away) – 7.45 pm - 5 September: Motherwell (home) – 3 pm - 20 September: Celtic (away) – 12 pm, live on Sky Sports Rangers fans can view the full list of Premiership fixtures on the club’s official website.
The club also encourages supporters to engage with the Super 6 competition for a chance to win a £250,000 prize, with free entry available. In summary, Derek McInnes faces a three‑match touchline ban (with a fourth match suspended) for remarks made about a contentious penalty decision that affected the title race last season.
Rangers have lodged an appeal, arguing that the comments were a legitimate critique of a specific incident rather than an attack on officials. The outcome of the appeal could determine whether the suspended match is ever enforced, and it raises broader questions about the balance between protecting officials and allowing open discussion of refereeing decisions in Scottish football.