rubberbanding

Definition

Rubberbanding is when a player's character snaps back to a previous position after appearing to move forward. It is caused by packet loss or server-client desyncs: the client predicts forward motion, but the server contradicts the prediction and forces a correction. Rubberbanding is one of the clearest visual symptoms of an unstable network.

Example

"I keep rubberbanding into walls — must be the new router." The player is losing packets, so the client repeatedly snaps to the server's authoritative position.

Related terms

• packet loss
• ping
• lag
• tick rate