FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce claimed on Wednesday night that the SFA were ‘ entirely wrong ’ in their move to ban Josh Meekings from the Scottish Cup Final . The Inverness Caley Thistle centre-half will learn on Thursday whether he has been successful in challenging the one-match suspension offered by compliance officer Tony McGlennan . Meekings was charged over the handball that thwarted a Leigh Griffiths effort in their semi-final victory - an incident which also prompted Celtic to write to the SFA seeking ‘ an understanding ’ of why no penalty and red card followed . Inverness defender Josh Meekings ' arm blocks the ball and prevents a goal to Celtic on Sunday . Meekings has been retrospectively suspended for one match , the punishment he would have got if sent off . But Northern Irishman Boyce , who is also chairman of FIFA ’ s referees committee , believes the only potential punishment should be levelled at match referee Steven McLean and his assistants . ‘ 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 , ’ said Boyce . ‘ 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 hand-ball and that ’ s the end of it . There is no way the player should now be disciplined for that . ‘ Who is 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 . ‘ 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. ’ FIFA 's head of referees Jim Boyce says the suspension of a player for an unpunished handball is wrong . Inverness is appealing the ruling that , if upheld , will deny Meekings ( right ) a place in the Scottish Cup final . The SFA ’ s disciplinary rules provide scope for action against sending-off offences not seen by the referee , including denying the opposition a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity . And former compliance officer Vincent Lunny believes Meekings should brace himself to miss the showpiece against Falkirk on May 30 . ‘ Look at the different options — any way you look at it , he would have missed the final , ’ said Lunny . Meekings ( right ) celebrates Inverness 's 3-2 win over Celtic in their Scottish Cup semi-final . ‘ I suppose it ’ s natural to feel sympathetic for a player who is potentially missing out on a place in the Scottish Cup Final , which might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance . ‘ But if Steven McLean had seen it at the time , he ’ d have been sent off and he ’ d be missing the final had Inverness gone on to win ; and if he ( Meekings ) hadn ’ t done it , Celtic would have scored and there ’ s a good chance they would have gone on to win , so again Josh Meekings would have missed the final . ‘ I think it will be an uphill struggle , especially after ( Inverness manager ) John Hughes ’ s comments on the radio saying it was a sending-off matter . ’
Jim Boyce was given a retrospective one-match ban for a handball . The incident was n't punished in Inverness 's Scottish Cup win over Celtic . The ban , which is being appealed , would rule Meekings out of the Cup final . Celtic wrote to the SFA asking why why no penalty or red card followed . Josh Meekings said he was speaking in a personal capacity , not for FIFA .