Aberdeen brand VAR unsuitable for purpose after Hawkeye failure for disallowed goal against Livingston
- Published
Watch: Bojan Miovski's Aberdeen goal ruled out against Livingston
Aberdeen have called Scotland's version of VAR as "not suitable for purpose" after "the Hawkeye system failed" against Livingston on Saturday.
Visiting defender Angus MacDonald was ruled offside after what Aberdeen say was a legitimate late winning goal.
But Aberdeen claim that video assistant referees overruled on-field officials despite no "reliable calibrated lines".
The Scottish FA confirmed the broadcast "18-Yard left camera ceased line tracking on the relevant video frame".
However, the governing body says that "during the review, Hawkeye were able to reprocess the data through their system and draw the calibrated offside lines from the disallowed goal, which showed Angus MacDonald to be in an offside position.
"The VAR made the decision using the technology that was available and this decision was validated by Hawkeye's retrospective recalibration conducted as part of their review."
Aberdeen's statement followed a meeting with the SFA at which they had "an opportunity to see and hear the transcripts relating to Saturday's disallowed goal" in the 0-0 Scottish Premiership draw.
They say VAR officials had to resort to "a freeze frame" that did not allow them to decide "with the normal degree of certainty" whether MacDonald was offside in the lead-up to Bojan Miovski's stoppage-time strike.
Aberdeen say that, while this is allowed within VAR protocols, "the Scottish FA accepted there is no conceivable way the VAR could tell definitively the deepest position of Livingston midfielder Daniel McKay's body".
McKay's body, they say, "is completely obscured from view" and the Hawkeye failure meant there were no on-pitch "markers".
Aberdeen say that, until now, they have preferred to make any complaints about VAR private and that they will continue to work behind the scenes to help improve the system.
However, they add: "What this situation demonstrates, in our opinion, is that the version of VAR that Scottish football has, or more accurately, can afford, is not suitable for the purpose in which it is intended.
"It perfectly highlights the limitations in the technology, the inappropriate implementation, the consistency of decision-making and the negative impact on the overall experience for the match-going supporter."
Our coverage of Aberdeen is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment