Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee described Gary McDonald's red card as "ludicrous" after the midfielder was sent off for celebrating his equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Motherwell.
McDonald headed home Charlie Mulgrew's corner midway through the second half but his team-mates had to secure a Clydesdale Bank Premier League point without him after he immediately received a second yellow card.
Crawford Allan issued the punishment because McDonald lifted the front of his shirt over his head after cancelling out Lukas Jutkiewicz's 13th-minute opener.
McGhee said: "The sending-off was ludicrous. I mean he's not even taken his jersey off, he has lifted it over his head.
"I thought he had to take his jersey off to be booked and he lifted it over his head and tapped his belly because his wife is expecting.
"I think the ref will argue that he is interpreting the rules but that can't be right. It's just ridiculous.
"Getting sent off for something like that makes a mockery of the game."
Motherwell manager Jim Gannon had plenty of sympathy with the player but absolved Allan of blame.
"I thought the ref was excellent, by far the best referee we've had," he said. "Unfortunately he has to go by the letter of the law.
"We can complain all day about whether it's right but he has to play by the rules. It's a shame they (players) have to contain their emotions in such situations."
Gannon felt his team created enough chances to take advantage of the red card but Aberdeen twice came close in the closing stages.
"Aberdeen deserved to get a goal, they played really well in the second half," he said. "When they went down to 10 men we created enough chances to win the game but whether that was deserved or not remains to be seen."
Gannon praised John Ruddy for a string of fine saves but McGhee felt his side should have taken matters out of the Motherwell goalkeeper's hands.
McGhee said: "We had so many chances we have to take more than one.
"I suppose you would say when you go down to 10 men you would take a point, but I'm disappointed."
Meanwhile, Gannon insisted his decision to leave Jim O'Brien on the bench until half-time was nothing to do with recent speculation linking Aberdeen with a move for the winger.
"I picked a team that I thought could get a result," Gannon said. "We were 1-0 up at half-time. I introduced Jim because I thought we needed to change the shape.
"It was nothing to do with the build-up, it was form. Jamie Murphy has been excellent and scored two brilliant goals for Scotland (Under-21s).
"I thought he had an excellent first half. I spoke to Jim at length and he wasn't affected, he is an excellent professional."
Gannon maintained he had no outstanding issues with former Well boss McGhee, who avoided the extreme abuse dished out to him when the teams met at Pittodrie.
"There's no need to clear the air, we both understand the role the media play in creating confusion and misinformation," Gannon said.
