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Original Laws
In 1863 in Blackheath, England the original laws of the game were written down as the first official rules of the game. -
Goal Kicks
Goal kicks were introduced -
Corner Kicks
First corner kicks were taken, 5 years after they adopted the rule -
Crossbars
Crossbars were finally added to goals in 1875 -
Whistles
The first time a referee used a whistle to control the game was in 1878 -
First Meeting
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) met for the first time on June 2, 1886. -
Penalty Kick
Penalty kicks were created in 1891. They were originally called a “kick of death” -
Offside
Lawmakers decided goalkeepers shouldn’t be able to handle the ball wherever they like, so in 1912 it was decided goalies could only use their hands in the 18-yard box. -
More laws
FIFA joined IFAB in 1913, restructuring how laws of the game were amended. England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland were each given a vote while FIFA was given four as a whole, with six votes still required to make a change. -
Throw In
In 1920, the rules were changed so that players could not be offside on a throw-in. -
Offside Rule
The offside rule changed from a three-player rule to a two-player rule. Starting in 1925, you were onside if there were two players between you and the goal (goalie included) instead of three. -
Re-Writing Rules
Stanley Rous, then the secretary of the English FA, led the effort to rewrite the laws for the modern language. Rous was later elected FIFA president in 1961, an indication as to how well his efforts were received. -
More Offside Rules
In an attempt to increase scoring, FIFA changed the offside rule to allow the offensive player to be onside if he was even with the second-to-last defender (goalie typically being the last defender). Also in 1990, denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity became a red-card offense. -
Last Major Change
The last major change made to soccer came in 1992, when IFAB decided to prevent goalies from using their hands on deliberately kicked passes from their teammates. Initially, there was chaos. Now every goalie fancies him or herself a sweeper keeper. -
Final Tweak
IFAB made one final tweak before the end of the millennium to prevent injuries and cynical play. In 1998 referees were instructed to view violent tackles from behind as red-card offenses.
