DONS legends Willie Miller and Mark McGhee have conceded that referee Crawford Allan was right to send off Gary McDonald at Motherwell.
Director of Football Miller agreed Allan had gone by the book in booking the midfielder for pulling his jersey over his head to celebrate his Fir Park equaliser.
And while gaffer McGhee concedes the referee was sticking to the letter of the law, he blasted the over-the-top regulations on goal celebrations.
McGhee said: "We can't argue with the booking but the rule is ludicrous.
"It's a joke that players can't celebrate a goal in some sort of way and that detracts from the game."
McDonald lifted his jersey and patted his stomach to send a message to his pregnant wife after scoring at Fir Park.
But he thought the law banned players from fully removing their shirts, and will now miss Saturday's game with Rangers at Pittodrie.
Miller said: "I can assure the Red Army no Aberdeen player will celebrate a goal in that manner again as it had such costly repercussions.
"The booking was not naivety from Gary because he did not know that just pulling up the jersey was a yellow-card offence.
"Gary did not take his jersey off but if the referee is sticking to the rules, it was a caution. This is a new ruling that was brought in because players had begun to show messages on T-shirts under their jerseys."
