Former Fifa referee Stuart Dougal has explained the ruling surrounding John Beaton's decision not to award a penalty for Connor Goldson's "handball" against Celtic at Ibrox yesterday.

Ange Postecoglou's side had spot-kick claims turned away when Goldson appeared to block a Carl Starfelt shot with his hands in front of his face.

IFAB ruling has since offered an insight into why Beaton and VAR official Willie Collum decided to wave play on, without a further check taking place.

From the replays, the incident looks like a clear penalty, but an IFAB "question and answer" section appears to suggest otherwise.

IFAB's answer for the situation explained: "The referee allows play to continue as the hand/arm position was the result of the player's natural (reflex) movement and did not make the body unnaturally bigger."

IFAB added: "The referee must judge each situation on its merit and the Laws of the Game clearly states that the referee must decide if the hand/arm position can be justified by the player's body movement for that particular incident.

"Referees must apply the 'spirit' of the Law and an instinctive reaction to protect the face which does not make the body unnaturally bigger is usually not penalised."

Speaking on the BBC's VARdict programme, Dougal offered further insight, saying: “I have had a number of texts coming through. We have to look at what the laws of the game say first of all.

“The current laws at the moment are, did the player make himself unnaturally bigger? Has there actually been a handball?

“If you are a Celtic fan then you are going to claim ‘yeah I can see a little nick there’.

“If it doesn’t hit his hand, assuming that it does, where is it hitting? And it looks as if it is going to hit his head.

“So in that case he is not making his body unnaturally bigger.

“Another key factor here is, are his arms out with his body? No.

“The distance between the two players is something the VAR and referee would take into consideration.

“Is it conclusive that there is actually a handball where the hands are above the shoulder or beyond?

“When you take it all together, I will let other people make up their mind whether they would give a penalty or not for that.

“The reason VAR did not get involved is because they didn’t see a clear and obvious error.

“If you think that was a handball because the hands are bigger above the head, you are entitled to give a penalty kick. And I don’t think VAR would get involved then either.

“That refereeing decision has really got to stand whether the Celtic fans or any other fan for that matter think it is unfair.

“Well I always like to look at it the other way. If this was happening in the other box would Rangers fans be claiming for a penalty? I am absolutely certain they would be.

“But we have to look at the laws of the game and then when VAR can get involved, so that decision has to stay the way it was.”