This article treat the founding period of the IFAB during the years 1882 to 1886.

The International Football Association Board, or IFAB for short, discusses the football rules at the first of its two annual meetings in February or March each year. This is for its members, namely the associations of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland (until 1921 Ireland) and all member associations of FIFA, which was founded in 1904. Not all FIFA members are represented, but four of them.

The four FIFA representatives can only vote en bloc, the four representatives from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland separately. A two-thirds majority is required for rule changes so that neither FIFA nor the four founding members of the IFAB can outvote each other. Changes to the rules of the game will come into force on 1st July.

The IFAB was founded in London on 2nd June 1886 by the associations of England (FA), Scotland (SFA), Ireland (IFA) and Wales (FAW). Already on 6th December 1882 there was a meeting of these four federations in Manchester, in order to plan a common tournament (British Home Championship, 1883/84 to 1983/84 staged). They wanted to standardize their still slightly different rules and regulations. Thus far, international matches have always been played according to the rules of the home team.

At the meeting in Manchester it was decided to assemble an international committee, i.e. an International Board, for the standardizing of the rules. However, the first meeting of the International Board did not take place until three and a half years later:

On June 2, 1886, two representatives of each of the four associations met in London, at the offices of the FA in the Holborn Viaduct street. It was decided that everyone has the same suffrage and that a rule change did not require a simple majority, but a two-thirds one. The first proposal submitted by this year’s chairman of the I(FA)B, Major Marindin, failed because of the two-thirds majority. The suggested change: Marindin did not want to allow anything projecting at soles and heels anymore, but only flat leather bars with an approved pattern. FA and FAW voted in favour, but SFA and IFA.

It was also decided that the meetings of the International Board would be held annually in another member country. Each meeting was chaired by a representative of that country. Thus the next meeting took place on June 1, 1887, in the premises of the SFA under its chairmanship.

Since the rules of the four associations differed only slightly, the FA Rules were changed only slightly between 1882 and 1886. The regulations to the side change, offside, kick, free kick and footwear remained unchanged, the rules to umpires and the referee were shortened noticeably, but by nothing added.

Also interesting: In the rules the word „play“ changed to the word „game“. Both words are translated to Spiel in German, but „play“ is more an amusement, „game“ a competition (1883).

Sourcebook

1882: preview ^[1]Cf. NN: The Football Association. Alterations of Rules“. In: Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, 04.02.1882. p. 7.| report ^[2]Cf. NN: The Football Association. In: The Sporting Life, 01.03.1882. p. 3.

1883: report #1 ^[3]Cf. NN: National Football Conference in Manchester. In: The Glasgow Herald, 07.12.1882. p. 5.| report #2 ^[4]Cf. NN: The Football Association Conference. In: The Athletic News and Cyclists‘ Journal, 13.12.1882. p. 5.| #report #3 ^[5]Cf. NN: The Football Association. In: The Sporting Life, 09.01.1882. p. 4.| report #4 ^[6]Cf. NN: The Football Association. In: The Sporting Life, 09.01.1883. p. 4.| report #5 ^[7]Cf. NN: The Football Association. In: Bell’s Life in London, 24.02.1883. p. 4.

1884: report ^[8]Vgl. NN: Der Fußballverband. In: Athletic News und Radfahrerzeitschrift, 05.03.1884. S. 3.

1885: Nachbericht1 ^[9]Vgl. NN: Der Fußballverband. In: The Sporting Life, 12.03.1885. S. 4.| report #2 ^[10]Vgl. NN: The Football Association. In: The Sporting Life, 24.03.1885. S. 4.)

1886: report #1 ^[11]Vgl. NN: Der Fußballverband. In: Der Sportler, 19.03.1886. S. 4.| report #2 ^[12]Vgl. NN: Fußballverband. In: The Sportsing Life, 22.03.1886. S. 4.

Fotocredits

Fotocredits

Screenshot http://www.englandfootballonline.com/Seas1872-00/1886-87/IFAB1886Rules.html.