How does extra time work in soccer?

A soccer match is structured a little differently than many other sports. This is especially true compared to sports that have traditionally been more popular in the USA. When a game needs a winner, an overtime system relatively unique to soccer is used: extra time.

But before we can get to that, we have to take a step back and understand the more basic way time is kept in a soccer match.

Soccer clocks: get your stopwatch ready

In most soccer leagues, except for American high school and college competitions, the game clock counts up. Instead of starting at the designated length of a game or period and going down to zero, soccer starts at zero and counts upward, without stopping for any reason, for the entire match.

The standard game is divided into two 45-minute halves, with the game beginning at 0:00, and halftime taking place at 45:00. When the second half kicks off, the clock restarts at 45:00 and ends at 90:00. But it’s not quite as simple as all that.

There is another wrinkle: added time.

90(ish) minutes of constant action

Because the clock doesn’t stop in soccer when the ball goes out of play or a player is injured, that means when the clock hits 45:00, 45 minutes of time with the ball in play have not actually happened.

To account for this, soccer uses what is known as added, stoppage, or injury time. During a match, the referees keep track of the rough amount of time that the ball is not in play. At the end of a half, this time is then added to the game. The fourth official will signal this amount of added time to the teams and fans with a special board, which is usually also used to denote substitutes.

Further stoppages during this period can be added on top of that as well. Depending on circumstances, halves can end almost exactly on time, or go on for as many as five, ten, or even fifteen extra minutes.

Eventually, the half or game will end. Even if the score is tied, in most competitions this will mean the…

Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/how-does-extra-time-work-in-soccer-20231203-WST-472265.html

Author : Derek Reese

Publish date : 2023-12-03 22:00:00

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