23 Feb 2026
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23 Feb 2026 10:03:51
You need to follow the tackle right through, as a still photo doesn't show it. It may be the fact that it's his trailing leg, but he takes Moore out in the box. As the ref didn't think the first contact you show in your picture was a foul, it makes that part of the challenge irrelevant. He makes no contact with the ball.
23 Feb 2026 10:25:21
Regardless of how we view this, we should never have been in this position.
23 Feb 2026 10:43:30
If you look at the Sky video from behind the goals, it is clearly inside the box. My biggest issue with it yesterday was the fact that the ref did not think it was even a foul. The manager got it spot on after the game: it was either a foul and a red card, as Moore was definitely getting a shot away, so denying a goal-scoring opportunity, or it's a pen and a yellow card.
23 Feb 2026 10:52:15
Yes, started there and continued into the boxes. Most people know these rules.
23 Feb 2026 11:18:52
Pouring over whether it was a foul or not is now largely irrelevant, as the game is over and we must move on. What is clear is that the top 5 (and sometimes Falkirk) are clearly able to take points from each other, so expect there to be more drama before the season ends.
As for Rangers today, we rescued a point which, earlier in the season, we would likely not have. Focus now needs to be on beating Celtic. Repeat that for the next 10 games and it won't matter what else happens.
Some of our players have low morale (for a variety of reasons), some look off the pace, and we can all look at some of DR's selections and decisions with a scratch of the head. Bottom line is these players are the only ones who can get us over the line, and they need our support (whether we agree with their selections or not). The title is there to be won. ?
23 Feb 2026 11:26:17
First contact is on Moore's leg; his boot is on the line of the box. We'll get told later in the week.
23 Feb 2026 12:06:27
1st contact is outside the box, and initial contact is where the foul is. That is the rule they have gone with. Jfm, it's not irrelevant; that is what they are saying is the rule. 1st contact is not on the line.
23 Feb 2026 12:26:04
Great post Macnaughten.
This is exactly where our focus must be as fans. Give everything to fully back the team and let them know we're right there with them.
We needn't worry about what anyone else does. Just play to our ability, and the double is there for us. Who would have dared to think that after the first round of fixtures?
We're on a Rohl.
23 Feb 2026 12:37:39
Storm, you're not getting the point I'm trying to make. I agree that the first contact was outside. The ref decided that the first contact was not a foul; therefore play continued. The Livi player then slides and puts Moore in the air inside the box with the second contact.
The Livi player does not make any contact with the ball. He can't just ignore the second contact because he thought the first contact was not a foul.
23 Feb 2026 12:57:14
The problem is, if they decide it's not a penalty and not a red card offence, VAR cannot intervene because the ref has given nothing. For me, there is an angle from behind the goal which looks as if the foul continued inside, but if they were not sure it should have been red for DOGSO and a free kick to Rangers. To take 3 minutes to give nothing but a drop ball to Livi is nonsense.
I felt the ref showed his inexperience all game, but on this occasion he had an experienced ref in VAR to help him, and they both got it wrong. I'm not claiming bias, but the decisions for all the clubs over the last couple of weeks have shown that Rangers were right to call for an improvement in standards. It's a pity we got no backing from others.
23 Feb 2026 13:27:56
You can argue penalty or not. 1st contact is outside, but there is a second contact with the other leg. If he was wiped out by first contact, then second would not count. But he was not taken down by the first contact, so advantage on that and the second contact that brought him down can be considered a penalty.
I think on balance it probably should have been a penalty, because he is touched outside the box, but brought down by the contact in the box.
But I can understand why they went the way they did.
Anyone thinking it's clear cut is just being biased towards their team. I do find it strange, your bias is never for Rangers, Storm.
What annoys me is why the ref does not make a decision. He did not even think it was a foul.
Then you have VAR taking 4 minutes, proving it's not clear, and coming up with nothing. If it's not a penalty it's a red as he is literally in the act of shooting when brought down.
23 Feb 2026 13:59:53
Foul continued into the box, similar to the hack on Cerny in the cup game against Celtic.
Red card and penalty kick. If that happened anywhere else on the park, the ref is giving a free kick and a yellow card.
If Mystar is correct and we find out later it should have been a pen, VAR is as useless as the on-field ref.
It is hard to accept a lack of bias when things like this continue to happen.
23 Feb 2026 14:06:44
To me, the officials, not only in this game but everywhere VAR is used, have become lazy. They no longer want to make decisions, and they rely on VAR bailing them out. The problem with that is that, in some instances, VAR is not allowed to intervene.
It was so apparent, watching the FA Cup games with no VAR, how inept the officials have become.
No bias, imo, just very poor officials.
23 Feb 2026 17:20:50
1st contact, 2nd contact, it's all the one tackle. It's outside the box, that is all. The ref made an arse of it. The 2nd contact, as you put it, is irrelevant. It's a foul outside the box, the ref didn't give it. VAR couldn't. Plain and simple, and really not hard to understand.
23 Feb 2026 17:21:52
The first contact by the defender is a foul, no matter whether the ref saw it or not. This contact was outside the box, so would be a foul. As it wasn't a penalty, VAR can't intervene, so the correct decision is to restart the game from where the ball ended up.
The trailing leg caught Moore, but this is considered to be a consequence of a natural motion; the defender can't stop that contact. The momentum of the tackle requires the leg to follow through, so it can't be a foul. If he hadn't fouled Moore with his first leg and it was the trailing leg which caught him, it would be different. So the decision by the Laws of the Game was correct.
Couple of other things:
They need to be 100% sure that the tackle was in the box. Even on here, fans are arguing whether it was or not, so they couldn't give it if they weren't sure and footage was inconclusive.
You can't be sent off for a penalty due to double jeopardy rules if you make an attempt to play the ball.
For 'clear goal scoring opportunity' there was a Livingstone defender coming from the left side of play about a yard away, so it was probably considered to be close enough to prevent it being a 'clear' goal scoring opportunity. Players aren't automatically sent off every time they foul a player in the act of shooting on the edge of the box. Just having a shot doesn't mean it is a clear goal scoring opportunity. Shots from the edge of the box, especially with defenders closing, are considered to be very low scoring opportunities, so they got that right as well, I'm afraid.
I didn't like it, but they managed to get it right by the Laws of the Game, imo.
23 Feb 2026 19:13:09
If the ref blew his whistle, you would be correct; that would be given for the first contact, 30-second check and it's done. Because the game is stopped by the whistle for first contact.
But, since play was not stopped, VAR goes through the incident in sequence. Just like they did with the Man City goal.
When doing that, there is a foul which continues into the box. The rules are very specific that a foul that continues into the box is a penalty. I know fans think it's only when it's a hold, but that's not the rule; it's the example to explain the rule.
If you follow the rules correctly, you give a penalty. But, if you decide the first contact is the actual foul, then Moore is still in the act of shooting in the box, with no one between him and the goal. That's a stonewall red.
No debate, no defender is getting to the ball before him.
I am feeling good about the team, and want to focus on that, but I think it's important to discuss these incidents. Because, whether fans admit it or not, these discussions influence outcomes.
We've seen that this week. Data came out last week exposing clear bias in time added across the league. The following week we played 11 minutes of stoppage time, 8 going up originally. When did we last play that amount of injury time? If you think that's a coincidence, you're kidding yourself.
It was exactly the same after Shankland got away with a handball at Ibrox and an identical incident the following week was correctly called. It's tedious talking about this, but ignoring it is not an option for me.
23 Feb 2026 20:08:41
It's a foul and a free-kick. The ref bottled it. VAR followed the rules.
24 Feb 2026 10:38:29
So, by a few people's opinions, I can tackle you/make contact with you and it's not a foul, then I can just take you clean out with my next movement and it's all fine and good??
WTF. ??