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A small Swedish football club has managed to influence a change in the global offside law—although the contentious loophole they uncovered hasn't been fully closed.
Torns IF, a fourth-tier side based in the village of Stångby, drew widespread attention in 2023 when they shared a video demonstrating a flaw in the offside regulation. Their demonstration revolved around the principle that offside is judged at the first point of contact when a player touches the ball.
While usually that moment coincides with a player's only touch, Torns IF highlighted a rare technicality. If a player were to scoop the ball and hold it momentarily on their foot, a teammate could advance beyond the defensive line, remaining onside until the ball was eventually released—all within a single “touch.”
Acknowledging the improbability of the scenario in real match conditions, the club nevertheless flagged the issue to football’s lawmakers. Their concerns reached the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which responded nearly two years later with an update.
“We did it. Torns IF changed the rules of football. After the introduction of the Torn pass and lengthy e-mail correspondence with IFAB, the offside law has been amended. We are immensely proud of our contribution to the beautiful game,” the club announced on social media.
However, the change applies only in part. IFAB’s amendment clarifies that for goalkeeper throws, the last point of contact should determine offside—rather than the first, which still applies to all other situations. That means Torns' scoop pass remains technically permissible under the current law.
“IFAB’s distinction between passes is hard to understand. The clarification of the offside law only applies to keeper throws and not to related passes, e.g. scoop and swivel passes. But, it's a win for us. We changed the rules, and some types of the Torn Pass can still be used,” the club later added.
Torns’ original pitch was grounded in a rule outlined on page 93 of the Laws of the Game. In a breakdown of the scoop technique, the club explained: “Torns IF have developed an ingenious method to create one-on-ones with the goalkeeper. It's based on a rule found on page 93 in the Laws of the Game stating that the first point of contact of the ‘play’ or ‘touch’ of the ball” should be used when judging offside. Groundbreaking.”
In the viral video, manager Tim Nielsen instructs player Adam Olafsson to balance the ball on his foot, while a teammate sprints beyond the defensive line. The club argued that since Olafsson hadn’t completed his touch, the runner would still be onside by the letter of the law—even several seconds later when the ball is finally played.
“This is amusing and interesting,” the club wrote at the time. “In terms of the 'spirit' of the Law, this is obviously offside and, in terms of the Law itself, the 'balancing' of the ball on the foot is a different 'play' from the movement which gives the ball momentum to move. We will review if the wording of Law 11 needs changing in light of this 'theoretical' situation.”
Former Premier League referee and current IFAB technical director David Elleray wrote to Torns IF to thank them “for your part in this clarification” and “for your gentle persistence in this matter.”
Club representative Tim Nielsen described the change as “absolutely fantastic,” adding: “Ifab required some convincing, but we got there in the end.”
The broader loophole may yet be addressed in future iterations of the law, particularly as video assistant referees (VAR) continue to raise the need for precision in defining the moment an offside occurs.
Until then, Torns IF's unique innovation continues to exist in a legal grey area—celebrated for its creativity, and perhaps still viable on the pitch.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay / chiraphat phaungmala, Pexels / Liviu Gorincioi
