1863 � Today: Evolution of the Laws of Football
The
phenomenon of the ages, nowadays known as football, hadn�t always been the
well-oiled machine it is nowadays. Just a few centuries ago, players were
supposed to count on each other�s honors when it came to ruling out fouls or
determining the gravity of their injuries.
Luckily for
this sport�s global fanbase, things were ultimately
made official, through laws and regulations that would serve as the foundation
for the modern football game as we know it. A glance at each revised decade on
our timeline is enough to realize just how much history is contained in a
single football, from the first offside law to your modern NetBet sportsbook account.
1863 � The First Laws
The first
laws of the game of football were established back in 1863, at the Freemasons�
Tavern in Blackheath, England. Even though few have
remained the same, it is a crucial moment for the game we know and love today.
1878 � The Referee Whistle
This is the
year when the referees were authorized to use whistles when performing their
duties.
1886 � IFAB
The
International Football Association Board was first established on June 2, 1886.
It comprised of two representatives from each British country � England, Wales,
Scotland and Ireland and required a two-thirds majority to create a rule.
1891 � The Referee Itself
Up until
1891, the game was regulated by two umpires who referred to the referee solely
when at a disagreement. After this change, the referee was given authority and
the two umpires were turned to assistants.
1904 � FIFA
The
international governing body of football was first set up in Europe, back in
1904, with the following countries as founding members: France, Denmark,
Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain.
1913 � FIFA & IFAB Merge
Once FIFA
and IFAB joined forces to regulate the game of football, there was a need for
restructuring in the voting system. Hence, each country of the IFAB retained
their single vote, while FIFA was given four on the whole. In order to pass or
reject a proposal, they still needed a two-third majority, i.e. six votes.
1925 � The Offside Rule
There is
never enough discussion about the offside rule, and the moments when it�s
broken. 1925 is an important year for this rule, mainly because it determined
that attacking players are onside as long as there are two defensive players��������������� between them and the goal,
including the goalie. Up until then, the rule required three players in
between.
1938 � Modern English
In order to
make the rules understandable to the wide audience, they needed to be rewritten
in modern terms. This task fell on the secretary of the English FA, Stanley
Rous, who was later acknowledged for his valuable work and made FIFA president in 1961.
1990 � The Final Offside
Once rules
were well-defined and understandable, it was evident that the lack of scoring
attempts was due to offside regulative. The final change stated that the
offensive player remains onside as long as they are even with the
second-to-last defender (the goalie understandably being the last defender).