Plans for a university degree in refereeing will be discussed as part of summer revamp of the SFA’s under-fire judicial system.

Full-time referees and the implementation of VAR were also raised at a meeting of Premiership clubs and the SFA hierachy at Hampden on Monday.

Sportsmail understands, however, that proposals to use foreign referees for SPFL games are unlikely to carry widespread support.

Plans for a degree in refereeing will be discussed as part of summer revamp by the SFA

An SPFL working party has been appointed to examine changes to the SFA’s judicial protocols, with the board of the governing body likely to implement changes in time for next season.

Changes to the disciplinary system are certain after a season of controversies and angry complaints. A number of clubs expressed concern about the standards of refereeing.

A proposal to introduce a university degree in refereeing, with plans to fast-track graduates to the senior ranks, will be looked at by the working party.

Various reforms to Scottish refereeing are being discussed, including using foreign officials

The implementation of full-time referees will also be considered, but poses problems in terms of the cost of recruiting officials and persuading some to give up better paid professions.

Clubs who can afford the cost of Video Assistant Referees could be granted a green light to trial their own systems with a view to winning FIFA approval in two years time.

Supportive of VAR, Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson claims Scottish football is ‘re-refereeing’ games under the present disciplinary system.

‘That is placing intolerable pressure on the referees, which places pressure on the compliance system and disciplinary system,’ he added.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has spoken in support of a pool of overseas referees supplementing the existing pool of Scottish referees. Concerned by the message that would send to aspiring officials, however, club sources have told Sportsmail the move is ‘very unlikely’.

Scotland boss Alex McLeish defended under-fire referees and said imports were a bad idea

Scotland boss Alex McLeish has defended the under-fire referees. He recalls Willie Collum being flown into Egypt at the behest of the Egyptian FA in 2017 to take charge of a powder keg Cairo derby between McLeish’s former club Zamalek and rivals Al-Ahly.

McLeish would not like to see foreign referees in the Ladbrokes Premiership. He said: ‘I want our guys to continue (being in charge of matches). Referees are under scrutiny like never before.

‘Back in the day at Aberdeen, I had run-ins with referees as did Sir Alex Ferguson while Willie Miller refereed games really well.

‘I always felt refereeing was the toughest job in football because of the abuse they got – and that was back then. Now in the modern world the scrutiny is very severe with cameras, VAR, and social media. There’s no hiding place.

‘We should back the guys as much as we can. VAR is coming – it can’t be stopped. I would welcome anything that would help referees. Would full time referees help? I don’t know.’

McLeish recalled Willie Collum being flown into Egypt in 2017 to take charge of the Cairo derby

McLeish would like to see the nation’s match officials be firmer with players and believes they should be held in a higher esteem, like they are on the continent.

‘The players have more respect for refs in the Champions League or Europa League. They know not to mess with the refs. They seem so much firmer and if you confront them then it’s an instant booking.

‘I think Scottish referees have to be firm and there has to be a respect but at the same time you don’t want refs to be stubborn.

‘I saw a ref the other week give a penalty and then got the word in his ear and changed his mind. That upset the other team. But it was the right decision and I thought: “brilliant”, that’s what you want.’

Willie McKay, who helped broker Emiliano Sala’s ill-fated transfer from Nantes to Cardiff, has angrily denied there was any wrongdoing or corruption in the deal.

Cardiff are gathering information that could lead to them suing him or trying to avoid paying the £15million fee, which they say was artificially inflated by McKay spreading false rumours of other clubs’ interest in the player.

They never got to see their record signing play, as the plane carrying Sala to Wales from France crashed into the English Channel on January 21. Days later the plane was salvaged from the water, with the body of the 28-year-old Argentine striker inside.

Willie McKay, who helped broker Emiliano Sala’s transfer, has angrily denied any wrongdoing

McKay’s admission that he deliberately spread stories about rival clubs’ interest — revealed in an email he sent to Sala — is viewed by executives at Cardiff as possible ‘price manipulation’. 

However McKay refuted claims of corruption, and said he wants a public meeting with press and Cardiff officials in order to clear his name.

He told the Sun: ‘We have nothing to hide, the rumours are f****** c***, absolutely f****** c***. I’m sick of it. I’m shocked people are saying this. I’m waiting for the FA to phone me.

‘I want a public meeting with everybody there and you can chair it — Sky, the papers, everybody can come.’ 

Cardiff say the £15million fee for Sala was inflated by false rumours spread by McKay

Cardiff are due to make the first payment to Nantes – a little over £5m – on February 27 after a seven-day extension to the initial payment deadline was agreed.  

The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) are due to publish their first report into the crash on Thursday, having spoken to McKay previously. 

McKay has been a focus after organising several flights for Sala and Cardiff as the deal progressed, including the Piper Alpha plane that crashed, killing the player.

He said: ‘The AAIB know the plane was not owned by me. Why won’t the owner come forward? They have probably seen the abuse I am getting.’