Rangers Exploit Appeal Loophole as Derek McInnes Dodges Immediate Touchline Ban

The Derek McInnes touchline ban was supposed to represent firm disciplinary action from the Scottish FA. Instead, Rangers have found a route that allows their manager to carry on as normal while his punishment is placed on hold.

McInnes received a four-match suspension, with one match suspended, following comments he made about a controversial VAR decision while managing Hearts. However, Rangers have lodged an appeal, meaning the ban will not begin until the appellate process has concluded.

As reported by Sky Sports, McInnes was punished after describing the decision to award Celtic a late penalty against Motherwell as “quite disgusting”. He also claimed that it felt like Hearts were “against everybody”.

Rangers Have Found A Way Around The Ban

Rangers are entitled to appeal any punishment they believe is unfair. Nobody can dispute that right.

However, the reality is that their appeal has allowed McInnes to dodge the immediate consequences of a sanction already imposed by the Scottish FA.

A manager has been found guilty of breaching disciplinary rules and handed a touchline suspension. Yet he can still stand in the technical area because the club submitted an appeal before the relevant deadline.

That makes the punishment look almost meaningless until the case is finally resolved.

McInnes Should Be Serving His Suspension

The Scottish FA clearly believed McInnes crossed the line. Otherwise, it would not have issued the Derek McInnes touchline ban in the first place.

His comments did not merely question a single decision. By claiming it felt like Hearts were “against everybody”, McInnes appeared to suggest something much broader about the treatment of his team.

Managers cannot demand respect for officials while publicly using inflammatory language whenever a decision goes against them.

McInnes should therefore be serving his suspension now. An appeal could still overturn the remaining matches if Rangers win their case, but it should not automatically erase the immediate effect of the original verdict.

The SFA Appeal Process Needs Examined

This situation exposes a serious weakness in the Scottish FA’s disciplinary system.

A punishment should carry consequences when it is announced. Instead, Rangers have used the appeal process to ensure their manager remains available for the opening Premiership fixture.

McInnes has not been cleared. His suspension has merely been delayed.

Until the Scottish FA closes this loophole, clubs will continue using appeals to postpone punishments at the moments when those punishments matter most.