The offside rule, you wouldn’t believe it, is practically as old as the game of football itself. Although football was initially similar to rugby – both had practically paralleled each other in English schools (rugby, Winchester, Harrow, Eton) in the 19th century. developed. All players who were closer to the opponent’s goal than the ball-carrier were initially offside. This was written by the Football Association (FA), which was founded in 1863 by eleven London schools in the Free Mason’s Tavern. In the 1871/72 season, 50 English clubs contested a championship and a cup competition, the FA Cup.