THE SFA decision to put Inverness Caley defender Josh Meekings in the dock for a handball in the Scottish Cup semi-final has set a "dangerous precedent".

That is the view of Fifa refereeing chief Jim Boyce as Meekings prepares to face a three-man disciplinary panel at Hampden on Thursday.

Meekings handled the ball with the score at 1-0 during Sunday's semi-final against Celtic - which Inverness won 3-2 after extra time to reach the final for the first time.

Referee Steven McLean and his assistants all missed the incident, but the SFA's compliance officer Tony McGlennan issued a "notice of complaint" on Tuesday.

The SFA offered Meekings and Inverness a one-match ban, which the club have rejected.

However, Boyce, Britain's Fifa vice-president and the head of Fifa's refereeing committee, said he was totally opposed to the intervention by the compliance officer.

He said: "This sets a very dangerous precedent, I am absolutely, 100 per cent against the compliance officer becoming involved because the referee's decision is final.

"It is a totally different matter if someone has gone over the top, or committed a serious foul, or head-butted someone and the referee has missed it.

"Those are disciplinary issues. But what happened here is that the referee has made a mistake regarding a handball and that's the end of it. There is no way the player should now be disciplined for that.

"Who's to say it was even intentional? If the Scottish FA or their referees' committee decide that they feel a serious mistake was made then they could take action in the future against that referee.

"I can understand why Celtic are annoyed because they felt they should have had a penalty kick, but these things happen at all levels of football every week.

"The only punishment, if any punishment at all is due, should be made if the Scottish FA feel the officials in charge of this game acted improperly and made the wrong decision."

Asked about the incident, Meekings said: "It has come off my arm, I've said that. He (Celtic player Leigh Griffiths) was two yards away and I've gone to throw my body in the way and unfortunately it's come off my hand, but, fortunately, at the same time it hasn't been given."

The SFA are claiming Meekings handled the ball deliberately. In a statement on Tuesday, Inverness said it was taking legal advice to present at the hearing.

Inverness will play Falkirk in the final at Hampden Park on May 30.