Stuart Kettlewell has accepted Fashion Sakala was onside despite question marks over his position in the build-up to Todd Cantwell's strike against Motherwell.
The Fir Park boss had questioned why the goal had stood with freeze frames showing an extremely tight call.
However, after a VAR check, the goal was awarded. Cantwell had finished after Sakala's cross into the box.
Now, Kettlewell has revealed the rule for offside calls has been explained thoroughly to him with the lines drawn giving an advantage to the attacking teams.
While the Motherwell boss fully accepts the call and expects it to go the same way moving forward - it is still in contradiction to his "old-school" beliefs.
He told the Daily Record: “Just my understanding of it, if we go specific to the incident you’re talking about is if those lines are touching, then the advantage goes to the attacker.
“I’m pretty clear on that now, but if that’s how it’s going to be, I would expect if we go to Easter Road on Saturday and the lines are touching, as drawn on the screen, if our attacker is the one that’s in front of the defender [they get the advantage].
“I’m old-school, I just think in any way if the attacker is ahead of the defender – whether it’s a millimetre or an inch – then it makes him offside.
“But I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that if these lines are touching and the attacker is ahead, then the advantage goes to the attacker.
“If that falls on Saturday, and it’s one of our forward guys, then I fully expect us to be given that advantage in that situation.”
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Kettlewell spoke with referee chief Crawford Allan about the decision to clarify his understanding of the VAR protocol.
But he admits there are still "question marks" in his mind over footballing decisions.
He added: “I can only take the word of the powers that be, and I have got respect for these guys.
“That’s what I will now work off of from that.
“I did question that decision, post-match, and it’s where I stick my hands up and say, by all accounts, that Fashion Sakala should be waved onside and the goal should count.
“I sought that clarity with Crawford Allan, he’s made me aware of a couple of things, which I accept.
“I still have a couple of question marks, just purely from my opinion and being a person involved in football.
“I felt I was very respectful, and the staff were very respectful to VAR, but there was confusion, and maybe not quite understanding why certain decisions came about.
“But it was a pretty amicable conversation and I’m fairly happy wth the outcome.”
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