Rubber Banding

Definitions

Rubber Banding in software and gaming refers to an effect where movement or progress appears to snap back to a previous position, as if attached to an elastic band. In online multiplayer games, rubber banding occurs due to network latency: a player moves forward on their screen, but the server's position calculation disagrees, causing the client to snap the player back to the server-authoritative position. This creates a frustrating experience where the player seems to teleport backward. In racing games, rubber banding is an intentional game design mechanic (also called catch-up logic) where AI opponents automatically speed up when behind or slow down when ahead, keeping races artificially competitive regardless of player skill. In user interface design, rubber banding describes the bounce-back effect when scrolling past the edge of content, most famously implemented in iOS. Each usage shares the metaphor of elastic resistance, whether caused by network issues, deliberate design, or physics simulation.
In plain English: When a character or object in a game suddenly snaps back to where it was a moment ago, because the server and your computer disagree about its position due to network lag.

1990s: Racing game developers implement rubber-band AI — trailing players get speed boosts, as if pulled forward by an elastic band
2000s: In online gaming, rubber banding describes lag-induced teleportation where characters snap back to previous positions
2010s: The networking definition dominates; rubber banding becomes the most visible symptom of server-side desync in online games