Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been charged by the Scottish Football Association for his criticism of the match officials after his side’s 2-0 defeat by Hearts on Sunday.

The Northern Irishman has been cited by the compliance officer and faces a hearing on March 28 after his contentious comments following a showdown at Tynecastle in which he claimed “the game was decided by the officials, on the field and outside of the field”.

Rodgers was particularly angered by the decision to send off Yang Hyun-jun in the 16th minute for catching Hearts’ Alex Cochrane with a high boot and also the call to award the hosts the penalty from which they scored their opening goal after the ball landed on the arm of Tomoki Iwata – who knew little about it – as he tried to win an aerial duel.

Rodgers was particularly scathing of VAR John Beaton for intervening in the red-card incident.

“For John Beaton to actually look at that in VAR, supposedly under no pressure, and say that was a sending off, I find that incredible,” said Rodgers on Sunday.

Rodgers went on to label the officiating of the match as “incompetent”.

“In my time up here I’m not one to have a go at refs because I understand it’s a very, very difficult position they are in,” he said.

“I try to respect decisions and give the benefit of the doubt. But I think when I see that level of incompetence, which is the only word I can use, then that makes me worry for the game.

“In such a tight title race, which it is and it’s fantastic and great to be involved in, that can make the difference. And that today made the difference for us.”

Rodgers has been charged for a breach of the SFA’s rule 72, accused of “criticising the decision(s) and/or performance(s) of any or all match official(s) in such a way as to indicate bias or incompetence on the part of such match official.”

Rodgers’ charge comes 24 hours after it emerged that Celtic had failed in overturning Yang’s red card.

If found guilty at his hearing later this month, Rodgers could find himself banned from the technical area for the April 7 showdown with title rivals Rangers at Ibrox.

Stronger enforcement on time-wasting goalkeepers was the major development to emerge from the annual meeting of football’s lawmakers as plans to extend sin bin trials to higher levels of the sport were quietly dropped.

Fans could be encouraged to join in countdowns on goalkeepers holding on to the ball too long in proposals approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Scotland on Saturday.

In competitions taking part in the trial, goalkeepers would be able to hold onto the ball for eight seconds instead of six and the sanction for holding on too long would be a corner or a throw-in in line with the penalty spot, rather than an indirect free-kick.

The plan was one of three trials approved for use in domestic competitions below the top two tiers, with the other two focusing on helping improve player behaviour towards match officials.

But the use of sin bins for dissent will remain at grassroots level for the time being.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino had already ruled out the use of blue cards for temporary dismissals on the eve of the meeting on the banks of Loch Lomond, and did not attend the media conference afterwards before the board headed off to watch St Mirren take on Aberdeen.

The PA news agency understands blue cards had been set to be part of a trial of sin bins at higher levels which were close to publication last month.

But they will not now be extended to higher levels – or to punish tactical fouls – any time soon despite FIFA referees committee chairman Pierluigi Collina claiming in November that discussions were under way about using them in “professional or even high professional football”.

The only developments were two refinements to the current grassroots trials, which will see sin bin yellow cards count towards a potential red card, and players having to wait for the next stoppage before their 10-minute period in the sin bin ends.

Scottish Football Association chief executive Ian Maxwell said: “The sin bin proposal definitely hasn’t gone further backwards.

“We’ve updated the protocol so we will assess how that works in that environment before we decide on what the next steps of those trials would be and if we start to take that further up the football pyramid.”

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham added: “If the trials at the lower levels work, of course the conversation continues throughout the pyramid.”

Bullingham admitted the news emerging in February had created a challenge as Premier League managers such as Tottenham’s Ange Postecoglou criticised the plans.

“I don’t think that was ever the intention for the trial to start in the Premier League,” he said.

Two trials linked to player behaviour which were approved were the ability for referees to create zones around themselves which only captains can enter, and for referees to order cooling-off periods where both teams would be required to retreat to their penalty areas.

Plans to tackle time-wasting will see a trial to increase the limit that a goalkeeper can hold on to the ball from six to eight seconds – but actually enforce it. It was recognised that referees are reluctant to give indirect free-kicks in the box, so the punishment could be a corner or a throw-in to the opposition instead.

Bullingham said: “The idea is, once the goalkeeper has got the ball under control, and the referee puts up his hand so that the (last) five seconds gets counted down, you’ll see the crowd respond to that and the other players will.”

The FA chief executive envisages some of the trials could take place in the lower levels of the English Football League or the National League.

“What level we will look at is an open discussion, I’m sure we’ll get that discussion with the relevant leagues,” he added.

Other law changes include the option for competitions to introduce additional permanent concussion substitutions – something which has been trialled in the Premier League since the 2020-21 season. But calls from leagues and players’ unions for temporary subs to allow for head injury assessments were not taken up.

There were no discussions on extending the scope of VAR checks and the only nod to improving the communication between match officials and clubs and supporters over decisions was the move to extend FIFA’s trial where the referee publicly announces their decision and potentially their reasons.

The scheme was in place during last year’s Women’s World Cup and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom confirmed it will be further trialled at the Olympics this summer.

The committee did not discuss the prospect of broadcasting conversations between referees and video assistants live, or releasing audio on a regular basis.

Maxwell said: “VAR has not been in too long in Scotland and we are working through that process with the rest of football to try to increase that engagement and understanding.”

Scottish referees chief Crawford Allan welcomed Rangers manager Philippe Clement’s “very helpful” backing of match officials after the VAR independent review panel claimed there had been a sharp increase in wrong decisions.

The IRP judged that 16 key match incidents (KMIs) have reached an incorrect outcome since the start of the season- with 13 of them coming in the second full round of cinch Premiership fixtures.

Rangers had made a request to the Scottish Football Association that Willie Collum be excluded from any involvement in any Gers match following a non-penalty incident in the Old Firm game at the end of last year.

Celtic full-back Alistair Johnston handled the ball inside his own penalty area at Parkhead under pressure from Gers attacker Abdallah Sima.

The IRP claimed indeed that Collum should have recommended an on-field review for a potential penalty but noted that the offside ruled that the decision not to award the spot-kick was ultimately correct.

Ahead of Collum taking charge of rangers’ cup tie with Ayr last weekend, Clement dismissed notions that any referee is “not neutral” and vowed to leave the past behind as he noted that he makes mistakes “every day probably”.

Allan, head of referee operations at the SFA, said of Clement’s support: “That was very helpful. That comment was very supportive and I know it was well received by the referees.

“I think that’s what we should be doing, we should be focusing in on the positive.

“I have seen other recent appointees to Scottish football, managers, saying that the initial experiences of Scottish referees are positive, so long may that continue.”

Allan was keen to stress that there was no chance that Collum would have been taken off Rangers duties.

He said: “Every referee will get considered for every match which is at their experience level. I will reiterate that, the Scottish FA will appoint referees to matches as they see fit.”

Among the 13 decisions that the IRP questioned  this time around were two penalties for Rangers  – one given for a challenge on Ross McCausland at Livingston and against Sima against Dundee at Ibrox – and the one awarded against Light Blues defender John Souttar against Kilmarnock.

It was also claimed that the yellow card initially handed out to Rangers midfielder Jose Cifuentes against Dundee in December should have been sufficient.

Cifuentes was initially booked by referee Kevin Clancy for a challenge on Amadou Bakayoko but that was upgraded to a red following a VAR review.

Asked if the rise in wrong calls from the perspective of the IRP was a concern, Allan said: “We see it as realism. Football is subjective. We accept the view of the independent review panel and we think they have a role to play in assisting us to ensure we are not seen to be marking our own homework.

“In terms of the numbers, we look at the reviews and types of incidents and we have got a heck of a lot more right.

“We have literally got hundreds correct and Scottish football has a habit of focusing in on the tip of the iceberg when we have a huge iceberg below which no-one really bothers about because we get it right.

“In the hundreds of potential reviews that we have had this year, we are in the same percentage areas as other countries.

“It is something we won’t lose sight of but we will continue to develop our referees and support them.”

Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes was left “even more disappointed” when he questioned Scottish Football Association referee chief Crawford Allan about Corrie Ndaba’s red card.

With the home side leading 2-1 against Hibernian on Saturday, Ndaba was sent off for a challenge on Jair Tavares, with referee Grant Irvine upgrading his yellow to red after being advised by VAR Nick Walsh to consult the pitch side monitor.

McInnes’s frustration was compounded when Hibees substitute Myziane Maolida fired in a late equaliser to salvage a point for the visitors.

The Killie boss spoke to Allan, head of referee operations at the SFA, but was not satisfied with what he heard.

“I was disappointed at the time (of the sending off) and that is still the case,” said McInnes, who revealed Robbie Deas had an operation on a fractur to his cheekbone on Monday sustained against Dundee which keeps him out for “the next few weeks”.

“I had a conversation with the refereeing department on Monday and I was even more disappointed after that conversation because of the take on it. His explanation was, the justification for the red card.

“They felt the decision was right, rather than a mistake.

“We totally disagreed on the reasons. Without going into it too much, it was more the exiting of the tackle but at least we had the conversation.

“My feeling is that we have to remind ourselves and re-set what VAR was brought in for.

“It has affected what happened on Saturday because it potentially cost us two extra points because we could have won the game, no guarantees of course but  it affects us the next two games with Corrie being suspended.

“The referee is three yards away, he is in the heat of the battle and he’s seen it for what it was, a yellow card. I didn’t think it was a yellow card.

“I will say to you what I said to Crawford Allan and there is no one who will tell me any differently.

“If Corrie gets yellow carded and the game gets played out, there is no one from the Hibs end, or the media, commenting that it was a ridiculous decision, why didn’t VAR get involved, why wasn’t it a red card? I think they have made it a thing by getting involved.

“Let the referee referee the game. He’s seen it for what it was. Give the referees more autonomy and more responsibility.

“I think it was wrong for VAR to get involved. We haven’t appealed it. I didn’t think there was any real point.”

On potential signings before the transfer window closes on Thursday, McInnes said: “We may still look to add one if we can but certainly no one leaving.”

The Scottish Football Association has hit back at Rangers as the row over a non-penalty incident at Celtic Park continues.

Celtic defender Alistair Johnston appeared to handle the ball inside the area in the first half of the cinch Premiership clash at Parkhead on December 30 while under pressure from Gers forward Abdallah Sima.

Referee Nick Walsh pointed for a goal kick and the decision was confirmed by VAR official Willie Collum following a check.

It later emerged through Sky Sports – broadcasting the match live – that there had been an offside in the build-up and Rangers claimed that was never mentioned during the VAR analysis.

The Ibrox club called on the SFA to release the audio of the incident and following a meeting with the governing body on Wednesday, Rangers said there was “an overriding consensus the VAR decision of no handball was incorrect”.

The Govan club also added they were “deeply concerned” by the speed of the decision and there were reports that the club had requested that Collum not be involved in Rangers games going forward.

However, in a lengthy statement the SFA said: “The Scottish FA is disappointed by contents of the most recent statement issued by Rangers.

“Chief executive James Bisgrove and director of football operations Creag Robertson attended a private briefing with the head of referee operations, Crawford Allan, to review the incident in question, including the use of matchday audio.

“We understood from the chief executive that the meeting had been constructive and informative, and conducted amicably. This does not appear to be reflected in the club’s statement.

“During the meeting, it was pointed out that the incident in question was a subjective handball and that the VAR did not deem it a sufficiently clear and obvious error to refer to on-field review.

“Furthermore, the offside would not have been mentioned at the time as it was not part of the VAR’s decision-making on the handball.

“It was highlighted within Clydesdale House that had the VAR considered the incident to be a handball offence and asked the referee to carry out an on-field review, the attacking phase of play would have been checked and an offside would have been identified.

“This supplementary information was relayed to broadcasters in-game, and we are reviewing the process of information dissemination to avoid any perceived ambiguity in future.

“There was an overall consensus that the incident could not have led to a penalty kick being awarded in any event, and that there was no impact on the final outcome of the match.”

The statement continued: “Since the summer, we have ensured that key match incidents [KMI] are reviewed and shared with all clubs after every full round of Premiership fixtures, including use of audio.

“We will continue to do this, along with KMI being shared with the independent review panel for their consideration and opinion.

“Finally, we note posts from a recent official media partner of the club’s detailing requests from the private meeting that were immediately rejected.

“We would ask that club representatives show greater responsibility in such matters, especially in the context of recent incidents in European football that have compromised the safety of match officials and led to widespread condemnation.”

The latter comments comes after former MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca was recently given a permanent suspension for punching referee Halil Umut Meler after his side’s draw with Caykur Rizespor in the Turkish Super Lig.