Scottish FA scraps independent Premiership Key Match Incident Review Panel
Scottish FA scraps its independent Premiership refereeing panel after clubs questioned its value, with direct meetings and VAR reviews set to continue.
The Scottish FA has scrapped its independent Key Match Incident Review Panel, bringing an end to a two-year attempt to provide greater transparency around major refereeing and VAR decisions in the Scottish Premiership.
The voluntary panel was introduced in 2024 and included former players alongside a club official from an SPFL club, and a journalist. It reviewed significant incidents from the previous weekend on a weekly basis, with its verdicts published in an effort to explain whether refereeing decisions had been correct.
The initiative was designed to give clubs, supporters and the wider Scottish football community an independent assessment of contentious incidents. However, the panel’s future was placed in doubt after Dundee United withdrew its representation in February last year.
The Tannadice club raised concerns about the panel’s “purpose, effectiveness and impact on Scottish football”. Other clubs are also understood to have opted out of the process this season, while some reportedly did not nominate representatives. With participation voluntary, the SFA has now decided to discontinue the panel.
Clubs questioned its value
The KMI panel had no authority to overturn a referee’s decision, change the outcome of a match or alter a subsequent disciplinary ruling. Its role was limited to reviewing incidents and publishing an independent opinion - with none of three panelists having any refereeing experience.
That lack of formal power became one of the main criticisms of the system. The publication of a verdict could confirm that a decision had been wrong, but it could not provide a practical remedy for the club or player affected.
There were also occasions last season when the panel’s conclusions differed from the retrospective assessments provided by SFA head of refereeing Willie Collum. Those conflicting interpretations risked creating further confusion rather than delivering the clarity the panel was intended to provide.
The panel also faced criticism from within Scottish football. Former Category One referee Bobby Madden previously questioned its value, arguing that referees placed little importance on its findings.
Meetings to replace the panel
The SFA is expected to replace the KMI process with regular meetings involving club captains and managers. The discussions will be chaired by Collum and VAR manager Mark Atkinson, allowing clubs to raise concerns directly and seek explanations for controversial decisions.
The meetings are viewed by the governing body as a more constructive way of improving communication between referees and the clubs. They may also allow feedback from managers and captains to be incorporated into referee coaching and education.
The move reflects a wider shift in the SFA’s approach to refereeing transparency. Rather than relying on a public panel whose conclusions could conflict with official explanations, the governing body appears to favour direct engagement with the people most closely involved in matches.
Collum’s VAR reviews will continue
The end of the KMI panel will not mean an end to public explanations of contentious decisions.
Willie Collum will continue to provide monthly video breakdowns through the Scottish FA’s VAR Review Show. The programme examines major incidents and explains whether the referee and VAR reached the correct conclusion.
Those broadcasts will now become the SFA’s main public-facing mechanism for reviewing key decisions, while meetings with managers and captains will provide a private forum for detailed discussion.
The KMI panel was introduced with the clear intention of improving confidence in Scottish refereeing. Its abolition suggests that the voluntary structure failed to establish enough authority or consistency among clubs.
Whether the replacement meetings prove more effective will depend on how openly concerns are addressed and whether clubs believe the process can lead to meaningful improvements. For now, the SFA has decided that direct dialogue is a better way forward than continuing with a review panel whose verdicts sometimes raised as many questions as they answered.