Swedish fourth-tier club force offside law change with 'Torn Pass' trick

Updated: 14 Jun, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Swedish fourth-tier club force offside law change with 'Torn Pass' trick

Photo: PA

In one of the most unlikely football rule changes in recent memory, Torns IF, a fourth-tier club from the Swedish town of Stångby, have managed to trigger a revision in the international offside law.

In 2023, Torns posted a video demonstrating what they called the "Torn Pass" - a clever manoeuvre where a player scoops the ball onto their foot and balances it, holding the ball aloft while a teammate runs beyond the defensive line.

Then, with the ball still technically in the same "touch", the player releases a pass.

Under the existing Law 11 at the time, offside was judged from the first point of contact in a pass, meaning the runner would technically not be offside when the ball was finally released.

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. pic.twitter.com/0IcCcT6DRF
— Torns IF (@TornsIF1965) August 16, 2023

From Local Trick to Global Rulebook

Whilst such a move might seem impossible to pull off under real match pressure, it was enough to catch the attention of IFAB - football's international lawmaking body.

Almost two years later, IFAB responded.

In an official update to the Laws of the Game, they acknowledged the issue and amended the rules - but only partially.

The rule now states:

The first point of contact of the "play" or "touch" of the ball should still be used; however, when the ball is thrown by the goalkeeper, the last point of contact should be used.

This means IFAB's update only applies to goalkeeper throws, not to foot-based passes like the Torn Pass.

So technically, Torns' ingenious exploit still works under current rules.

Will the Law Change Again?

Whilst IFAB admitted that the Torn Pass raised questions about the "spirit of the law", they haven't fully closed the loophole.

That means - at least in theory - a clever enough team could still use a scoop pass to bypass offside traps.

Whether it's practical in high-level play remains debatable, but Torns have etched their name into football folklore.

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