FIFA and IFAB’s new five-second restart rule has quickly become one of the most talked-about changes at the World Cup.
The rule is part of a wider effort to reduce time-wasting and keep games flowing. Substitutions are being monitored more closely, injured players can be made to wait before returning, and slow throw-ins or goal kicks can now be punished more directly.
Canada have already benefited from the new approach, with Bosnia and Herzegovina penalised for delaying a throw-in. That incident helped a clip of Andy Robertson against Haiti go viral, with many fans believing Scotland had found a clever way around the rule. However, it may backfire.
Andy Robertson’s throw-in ‘loophole’ does not actually work
The theory was simple. Robertson appeared to wait until his teammates were ready before picking up the ball, which led some fans to claim the referee’s five-second countdown only starts once the thrower has the ball in his hands.
That would be a smart tactic if true, but the IFAB wording closes that door. The rule states: “The referee does not have to wait for a player to have possession of the ball to start the five-second countdown.”
It also says the countdown can begin if a player deliberately delays the restart by slowly retrieving the ball. That means leaving the ball alone while teammates get into position is not guaranteed protection.
The key detail is referee judgement. Once the referee decides a team is delaying, they can start the visible count before the ball is even in the thrower’s hands.
That is why Robertson’s moment should not be treated as a discovered loophole. Players trying to copy the same strategy could easily be caught off guard.
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