A Swedish third-tier football club has successfully pressured football's law-making body into amending the offside rule after exploring a loophole. Torns IF, from the small town of Stångby near Malmö, questioned whether a player could circumvent the offside law by balancing the ball in the crook of their foot, a technique they called the 'scoop pass'.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) has now clarified the offside law for the 2025-26 season, specifying the point at which an offside assessment should be made. The change follows a viral video in 2023 showing Torns attempting the trick, and lengthy correspondence between the club and Ifab.
David Elleray, former Premier League referee and Ifab's technical director, wrote to the club thanking them for their 'gentle persistence' and their part in the clarification. Torns' Tim Nielsen expressed delight at contributing to the rules of the game, noting that Ifab required some convincing but eventually agreed.
The clarification relates to a 'delayed' pass, specifically when a goalkeeper throws the ball upfield to release a forward. In such cases, the offside assessment will be made at the 'last point of contact' before the keeper releases the ball. For other passes, the judgment remains at the 'first point of contact'. The scoop pass itself has not been outlawed, but Ifab argued it was against the spirit of the laws.
Nielsen questioned why the rule was only changed for goalkeeper throws, not other passes like scoop or swivel passes. He suggested the lack of clarity stems from video assistant referees needing a precise moment to judge offside, hinting that further correspondence may follow.
