Extra Time in Football Meaning
Extra time in football is an additional period played after 90 minutes plus stoppage time when a match that needs a winner is still level. Usually, it lasts 30 minutes in total, split into two halves of 15 minutes. If you ask what is extra time in football, the short answer is: it is a tie-break period, not stoppage time.
ℹ️ Quick answer
Extra time is the extra playing period used after a drawn knockout match when the rules need a winner.
Under IFAB Law 10, competition rules decide the tie-break method after a drawn match or home-and-away tie. The permitted procedures include two equal extra-time periods not exceeding 15 minutes each and kicks from the penalty mark. That means some competitions use it, while others can go straight to penalties.
The answer to how long is extra time in football is usually 30 minutes, but the competition rules control whether it is played. In simple terms, extra time in football begins only after normal time has ended and the score remains level. It does not replace normal time or wipe out earlier goals.
It also differs from stoppage time, added time and injury time. Those terms describe minutes the referee adds for delays during a half, including injuries, substitutions, time wasting, disciplinary sanctions, VAR checks and goal celebrations. Stoppage time can still be added at the end of an extra-time half.
Before extra time starts, teams commonly get a short break, often around five minutes, depending on competition rules, and the break between the two extra-time halves is usually brief. IFAB Law 7 permits a drinks break of no more than one minute at half-time in extra time.
Article details: By Football Rules Editor, using IFAB Laws 7 and 10 as rule references. Published in 2026 and last updated in 2026 for football fans.
How Long Is Extra Time?
The standard answer to how long is extra time in football is 30 minutes, played as two halves of 15 minutes. It follows full time only when competition rules require a winner after a draw. It is separate from the 90 minutes and any stoppage time already played.
IFAB Law 10 gives the rule basis. When a drawn match or home-and-away tie needs a winning team, the permitted procedures include “two equal periods of extra time not exceeding 15 minutes each” and kicks from the penalty mark.
That wording matters because competition rules may use the maximum, a shorter format, or no extra period at all. In most major knockout matches, the familiar format is still 15 minutes, a short interval, then another 15 minutes.
So, extra time in football usually adds half an hour to the match clock before penalties are considered. If the score stays level after those two halves, the tie can move to a penalty shootout, depending on the rules of that competition.
If you ask how long is extra time in football during live play, remember the referee can still add stoppage time. Under IFAB Law 7, allowance is made for lost time, including substitutions, injuries, time wasting, disciplinary sanctions, VAR checks, goal celebrations and other delays.
A typical pause before extra time is around 5 minutes, with about 1 minute between the two extra-time halves, but exact breaks depend on competition rules. Law 7 also permits a short drinks break of no more than 1 minute at half-time in extra time.
In practice, fans should read the match regulations before assuming extra time will happen. Some cup formats can go straight to penalties after 90 minutes, so the 30-minute answer is the standard format, not a promise for every competition.
How Does Football Extra Time Work?
Extra time is not automatic after every draw. In extra time in football, it starts only when the competition rules require a winner after a level knockout match or tie. IFAB Law 10 permits two equal periods, and the rules of that competition decide whether they are used.
A simple football extra time sequence is easy to follow, but the referee still manages it like normal play. Fouls, substitutions, injuries, disciplinary sanctions, VAR checks, goal celebrations, and time wasting can all lead to added allowance inside each 15-minute half.
- At full time, the referee ends normal play once the second half and any stoppage-time allowance are complete.
- If the match is still level, players get a short break before the additional period begins.
- The first extra-time half is played for 15 minutes, with stoppage time added for delays.
- Teams usually change ends, then have a short interval before the second extra-time half.
- The second 15-minute half is played, again with any time lost added by the referee.
- If scores remain level, the tie moves to penalties when the competition format requires a winner.
During the short interval between the two extra halves, teams normally switch ends. This keeps the format balanced and mirrors the change of ends at half-time in normal play. Coaches may give quick instructions, but play restarts promptly unless competition rules or the referee allow another delay.
After the second extra period, there is no third half under the standard Law 10 route. If the score is still tied and a winner is needed, the match goes to kicks from the penalty mark, usually described by fans as a penalty shootout.
Extra Time vs Stoppage Time
The key difference in extra time vs stoppage time is timing. Stoppage time, also called added time or injury time, replaces playing time lost inside a half. Extra time is a separate period after full time, used only when competition rules require a winner after a draw.
A common search is what is extra time in football, but the answer is not added time at 90 minutes. In simple terms, extra time in football means two extra periods, commonly 15 minutes each, after a drawn knockout match when the rules say play must continue.
| Term | When It Happens | Who Decides It | Simple Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoppage time | At the end of a normal half or extra-time half | Match officials apply Law 7 allowance | Three minutes are added for injuries and delays |
| Added time | Same period as stoppage time | Match officials apply Law 7 allowance | Board shows time added before play continues |
| Injury time | Informal name for time lost to injuries or other delays | Match officials apply Law 7 allowance | Trainer treatment creates extra minutes |
| Extra time | After full time in selected tied matches | Competition rules decide under Law 10 | Two 15-minute periods follow a draw |
The table shows why extra time vs stoppage time matters for fans and bettors watching a close match. If the fourth official indicates added time, the same half is still being completed. If a cup tie moves to extra time, a new timed phase begins because the result still needs a winner.
Under IFAB Law 7, allowance is made for substitutions, injuries, time wasting, disciplinary sanctions, VAR checks, goal celebrations and other delays. That allowance can also be added at the end of an extra-time half, so a 15-minute period can run longer.
Under IFAB Law 10, procedures for a tied match may include extra periods or kicks from the penalty mark. Many league fixtures simply finish as a draw, so do not expect extra periods unless the competition format demands a winner.
Extra Time Rules and Key Facts
Under IFAB Law 10, extra time is only used when competition rules require a winner after a draw or a drawn home-and-away tie. The permitted format is two equal periods, with each period not exceeding 15 minutes. In practice, football extra time usually means 30 minutes in total.
Law 7 also applies during the two extra-time halves. The referee allows for time lost through substitutions, injuries, time wasting, disciplinary sanctions, VAR checks, goal celebrations and other delays. That means stoppage time can be added at the end of either extra-time period, just as it can during normal time.
- Competition rules decide whether extra time is played; a draw does not automatically trigger it.
- The standard structure is two 15-minute periods, not one long period or an open-ended contest.
- A short drinks break of no more than 1 minute is permitted at half-time in extra time under Law 7.
- If the score remains level after extra time, Law 10 allows kicks from the penalty mark when a winner is still required.
- Golden goal and silver goal are historical formats, not the standard modern approach.
| Rule point | Key fact |
|---|---|
| Use of extra time | Set by competition rules when a draw still needs a winner |
| Length | Two equal periods of up to 15 minutes each |
| Time allowance | Referee adds time lost within extra-time halves |
| Interval | Short drinks break may last no more than 1 minute |
| After level scores | Kicks from the penalty mark may decide the match |
Modern extra time is not sudden death. A goal in the first period does not end the match under the standard format, because both periods are played. If no team leads after those periods and the rules still require a winner, the match can move to a penalty shootout.
What Happens After Extra Time?
If the score is still level after extra time, the match moves to kicks from the penalty mark when the competition rules need a winner. This is the usual answer after asking how long is extra time in football: 30 minutes may not settle the tie, so the rules use a penalty shootout.
Before the kicks begin, the referee follows IFAB Law 10.3 procedures. A coin toss decides which goal will be used, unless safety or other issues prevent that choice. A second coin toss decides which team takes the first kick, and the teams then alternate attempts.
Each team takes five kicks, one at a time. Different eligible players must take a kick before any player takes a second one. Players sent off cannot take part, because only eligible players may take kicks. This keeps the order clear and prevents one specialist from taking repeated early attempts.
If scores are level after five kicks each, the shootout enters sudden death. Teams continue taking one kick each until one leads after both have taken the same number of kicks. In simple terms, the penalty shootout decides the winner without more open play.
Under these procedures, there is no further extra-time period. Kicks from the penalty mark are a tie-breaker, not another phase of normal play. The referee manages the order, eligible players and goal choice, while the competition rules decide that this method applies. For fans, the key point is simple: extra time tests open play first, then the laws provide a clear tie-break method when a winner is still required.
Which Matches Use Extra Time?
The match type decides whether extra time in football is used. Under IFAB Law 10, it applies only when competition rules require a winner after a drawn match or home-and-away tie. That is why ordinary league matches usually end level when the score is tied after 90 minutes.
In practice, football extra time appears most often in knockout matches. Many World Cup, Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup knockout situations may use it, but the exact format comes from that competition’s rulebook. Some cups instead move straight to a penalty shootout, so always check the current competition rules.
| Competition or Match Type | Extra Time Used | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Normal league match | Usually no | A draw can stand unless competition rules say otherwise |
| World Cup knockout match | Often yes | Used when the tournament rules require a winner |
| Champions League or Europa League knockout tie | Can apply | Depends on current competition rules for that round |
| FA Cup knockout tie | Can apply | Check the round rules because cup formats can change |
| EFL Cup tie | May go straight to penalties | Unisport describes this format after 90 minutes |
| Home-and-away tie needing a winner | Can apply | IFAB Law 10 allows extra time as one permitted method |
The key point is that extra time is a competition tool, not a universal rule. A semi-final, final, replayed tie, or second leg may need a winner, while a regular league fixture may not. If the rules skip extra time, the match can go directly from full-time to kicks from the penalty mark.
Golden Goal and Silver Goal
Golden goal and silver goal were historic tie-break rules, not current standard procedures. Both changed how extra time in football ended, because the match could finish before the full 30 minutes. Today, competition rules may use two 15-minute periods and, if needed, kicks from the penalty mark under Law 10.
Under golden goal, the first team to score in extra time won immediately. There was no restart and no chance for the other side to reply. Under silver goal, play continued only until half-time in extra time; if one team led then, the match ended, but an equal score meant the second period continued.
- 1993: Golden goal was formally introduced, creating sudden-death extra time when a team scored.
- Euro 2004: Silver goal still meant a team leading at half-time in extra time could win then.
- After Euro 2004: Golden goal and silver goal approaches were removed from major football.
These rules matter because older match reports and highlights may use the terms without explaining them. They are part of golden goal history, not a rule to expect in modern knockout match coverage. If a tie is level after the full extra-time format, the relevant competition rules can send it to a penalty shootout when a winner is required.
Extra Time Misconceptions and Terms
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| extra time vs stoppage time is only a wording choice. | It is wrong; extra time is a separate playing period, while stoppage time replaces time lost inside a half. |
| Premier League draws go to extra time. | They do not in normal league play; a draw can stand unless a separate competition rule requires a winner. |
| Golden goal is still the standard rule. | No; golden goal and silver goal are historical formats, not current standard practice. |
| The clock cannot be extended in extra time. | It can; added time may be included after either extra-time half for injuries, substitutions, delays or time wasting. |
- extra time vs stoppage time: extra time is a later contest period; stoppage time is allowance for delays.
- Added time: minutes the referee adds for lost time, including substitutions, injuries and other delays.
- Injury time: another common term for stoppage time, often linked to treatment delays.
- Penalties: kicks from the penalty mark used after a level match when rules require a winner.
- Knockout match: a match or tie where one side must advance.
- Away goals: a Law 10 tiebreaker used only when the competition rules apply it.
Extra Time in Football FAQs
what is extra time in football?
It is an extra period used only when competition rules need a winner after a draw or two-leg tie. IFAB Law 10 allows two equal periods and then kicks from the penalty mark if needed.
how long is extra time in football?
The standard format is 30 minutes, split into two 15-minute halves. Law 10 says the two periods must be equal and must not exceed 15 minutes each.
Is extra time the same as stoppage time?
No. Stoppage time, also called added time or injury time, replaces time lost within a half. Extra time is a separate tie-break period, and stoppage time can still be added to its halves.
Do league matches use extra time after draws?
Usually no. Standard league fixtures can finish as a draw unless the competition rules say otherwise. Knockout cups or ties that require a winner are the normal place for this format.
Does women’s football use the same extra-time format?
Yes, when the relevant competition rules choose that route. The IFAB wording is not a men’s-only rule: it permits two equal periods of up to 15 minutes before penalties if needed.
What happens after extra time, and does golden goal still exist?
If scores remain level, Law 10 allows kicks from the penalty mark. Golden goal is not current in most FIFA-authorised football; it was formally introduced in 1993 and largely ended in 2004.
The key takeaway: extra time in football is a scheduled tie-break when rules demand a winner, while stoppage time is the referee’s allowance for delays inside each half. For any match, check the competition rules first, then expect penalties if the extra period ends level.