Police are to join the Scottish Football Association in laying down the law over excessive goal celebrations.

Players have been informed that they face an automatic booking if they run to the perimeter wall to celebrate excessively with spectators.

But the SFA insists that it is not so much a crackdown on offenders as a clarification of existing practices by referees.

And Scottish football's governing body stresses that players will not face an automatic booking for leaving the field of play to celebrate.

Some players have provoked crowd reactions SFA discipline chief Drew Herbertson

The SFA has written to all clubs in Scotland as a result of discussions between the governing body, referees and the police held in the wake of the red card shown to Hearts midfielder Phil Stamp following celebrations during the last Edinburgh derby.

Police officers will follow this up by visiting every professional club in the coming weeks to brief players and managers.

SFA head of discipline Drew Herbertson said: "Some players have provoked crowd reactions and surges by deliberately leaving the field of play for a goal celebration.

"This can cause serious difficulties for police and stewards, whose principal responsibilities lie with the safety of spectators.

"Of course, scoring a goal is a supreme part of football and leads to displays of emotion and the laws of the game recognise this by stating that reasonable celebration is allowed after a goal.

"Referees have generally acted sensibly in their handling of celebrations, but they must retain discretion to caution players who go too far.

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"The key factor is the behaviour of the players themselves, as their actions lead to the problem of crowd reactions and surges.

"From the perspective of the police, the area between the playing surface and the perimeter fence is a 'sterile area' and any spectator entering this area would be arrested and charged with breach of the peace.

"Players going to the perimeter fence create obvious difficulties for the police, so clubs should warn their players of the risks they take by leaving the field of play, particularly when spectators become involved.

"The police take these matters seriously, which is why they are conducting briefings at clubs."

Stamp was shown a second yellow card for his celebrations after a last-minute goal gave Hearts a thrilling 2-1 victory over Hibernian.

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The SFA guidelines state:

• Referees are expected to act preventatively to ensure that there are no excessive celebrations
  
• Leaving the field of play to celebrate a goal is not an automatic cautionable offence
  
• A player who, by his momentum or follow-up to scoring a goal, jumps over the advertising board or runs behind the goal then quickly returns to the field need not be cautioned
  
• It is essential that players return to the field of play quickly.

Players can expect to be cautioned if, in the opinion of the referee:

• They make gestures which are provocative, derisory, inflammatory or intended to incite or ridicule opponents or opposing supporters
  
• They run to the perimeter wall to celebrate excessively with spectators.