List of years in association football

This page indexes the individual year in association football pages. Each year is annotated with one or more significant events as a reference point.

The Cambridge Rules are created in 1848. Official referees appear for the first time in a football match, at a match held in Cheltenham in 1849, two in field and one in tribune.

Sheffield F.C., the first football club in the world, is founded in 1857. That same year the Sheffield Rules are also created.

British railway builders introduce football to Argentina. The Football Association is founded in 1863 (the first football association in the world), and it ratifies the original 14 rules of the game. In 1860 the first non-British team in Europe, Lausanne Football and Cricket Club of Switzerland, is formed. In 1862 Notts County F.C. is founded. In 1865 Buenos Aires FC was formed by British residents. The first ever football tournament, the Youdan Cup, is played by twelve Sheffield clubs in 1867; the Cromwell Cup, the second oldest football tournament in the world, takes place in 1868 with Sheffield Rules. Goal kicks are introduced in 1869.

First "goalkeepers", and passage from "dribbling game" to "passing game" is seen in club matches in Sheffield and London. The first international match arranged by the Football Association between England and Scotland on March 5, 1870 finishes in a 0–0 draw at the Kennington Oval in London. Combination Game developed by Royal Engineers AFC.

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