Hello football fans, another exciting question awaits you. Is there overtime in soccer? Yes, overtime is used in soccer, and it lasts for 30 minutes. And those 30 minutes are split into two 15-minute periods. Overtime is only used during playoff stages and not in regular league matches. This blog on 96 bet will give information about what overtime is in football and how it works, along with the football betting tips and other key strategies.
What Does Overtime Mean in Soccer?
Let’s now move ahead and analyse this question. How does overtime work in soccer?
- Overtime (extra time) is a window of 30 minutes that is used to decide a winner, so the competition can move forward.
- Now, keep in mind, extra time is only used when it’s a knockout or a final match. It’s not used during league matches.
- Overtime starts after the regular 90 minutes end.
- In a league stage match, if no one has scored after the normal time, the match is declared as a draw, and each team gets 1 point.
Difference Between Regular Time and Overtime
Here’s how to remember the difference between the two:
- Regular time is for 90 minutes (played in two 45-minute periods). If it is the league stage and neither Team A nor B have scored, the match will be drawn after 90 minutes.
- Overtime lasts for 30 minutes. Now, during a playoff match, if Team A and B haven’t scored, overtime starts. And those 30 minutes are played as two 15-minute halves.
When Overtime Is Used in Soccer Matches
Overtime is only used in soccer when a winner has to be decided, i.e. in a knockout match.
For example, France and Spain are in the semi-final of the World Cup, and they haven’t scored after the regular time. So now, the overtime will start, and whoever scores will advance to the finals.
Standard Length of Soccer Overtime
How long is overtime in soccer? The soccer overtime lasts for a total of 30 minutes.
Two 15-Minute Extra Time Halves
The 30 minutes we spoke about are split into 15-minute windows, and both halves must be completed.
Breaks Between Overtime Periods
Players only get a break of 1 minute after the first 15-minute half. They don’t have the choice to rest; they can only manage to drink water and then switch sides on the field.
Total Match Time Including Added Time
In a match where overtime is used, the match can easily last up to 125 minutes or more, including the regular time and injury time.
Soccer Competitions That Use Overtime
There are many questions comes to our mind and one of them is why is soccer the best sport and how it uses overtime in the soccer. Overtime is usually used during the knockout stages of tournaments; here are some of those competitions which use overtime:
- Olympic Soccer Tournament – It is used in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the medal matches.
- FIFA Club World Cup – Overtime is used in a tied knockout match to decide who goes to the next stage.
- UEFA Europa League – Overtime is used in two-legged aggregate ties or single-leg finals.
World Cup Knockout Matches
In the FIFA World Cup tournaments, overtime is used during the knockout stages. When a match is tied after 90 minutes, it goes into overtime (30 minutes), and if the match remains tied even after that, it leads to a penalty shootout (it has no time limit). A recent example is the 2026 UEFA Champions League between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, which went to a penalty shootout.
Domestic Cup Competitions
Domestic cup competitions also use overtime; here’s a list of some domestic cups:
- Spain’s Copa Del Rey
- England’s EFL and the FA Cup
- Italy’s Coppa Italia
- Germany’s DFB-Pokal
However, in tournaments like the Copa Del Rey and the EFL, during the early stages, matches go straight to penalties so the players won’t be tired.
Youth and Friendly Match Rules
Youth and friendly matches do not use overtime; it is rarely used.
Because friendly matches are played to improve skills and mostly to experiment, they end at the regular time.
In youth leagues, overtime is mostly used during playoffs or finals. Even then, it is used for short intervals (5 or 10 minutes each), depending on the age group.
Also, some organisations use the ‘Golden Goal’ rule: whoever scores first during extra time wins.
What Happens If the Match Is Still Tied?
Football is not just one player, and it is all about 11 players. Now, let us understand and analyse what is the hardest position in soccer. What if a match is tied after overtime, it heads to a penalty shootout.
Penalty Shootouts Explained
Each team gets 5 kicks from the penalty spot, with a different player every time.
| No. | 5 Kicks | Rules | Sudden Death |
| The shootout can end if Team A has 3 goals and Team B has missed their first 3. | Players aren’t allowed to stop completely before they make the shot. | If the scores are still tied after the 5 kicks, the shootout goes into the ‘sudden death’ phase. | |
| The goals count for the team, and not for the individual player’s stats. | A goalkeeper cannot jump before time or distract the kicker. One foot should always be on the goal line. | After everyone has had their chance (if the game continues), the same players can be used again. |
Sudden Death Rules From the Past
In the 1990s, FIFA introduced a new rule: If the match went into extra time, the team who would score the first goal would win. The extra time wouldn’t last for 30 minutes.
They discontinued the rule in 2004, and since then, both periods of extra time are supposed to be played out.
Eg: The rule was used in the 1998 FIFA World Cup final and Euro 2000.
Soccer Overtime Rules Quick Table
We’ll see all the rules of soccer over time:
Regulation Time
| Regulation Time | The normal match lasts for 90 minutes, and it’s divided into two 45-minute halves. |
Overtime Duration
| Overtime Duration | When the match is tied after 90 minutes, teams play for 30 minutes. Those 30 minutes are split into two 15-minute halves, and those entire 30 minutes have to be played. |
Half-Time During Extra Time
| Half-time | After the first 15 minutes, both teams get 1 minute to drink water and switch sides. |
Penalty Shootout Situation
| Penalty Shootout | When the match is tied after overtime, the penalty shootout begins. Both teams get 5 chances each. |
Common Myths About Soccer Overtime
There are a lot of misunderstandings about overtime. Like, every draw goes into extra time and so many others.
Is Overtime the Same as Injury Time?
Injury time and overtime are not the same. Overtime (extra time) is a period of 30 minutes which takes place after the regular 90 minutes (when a match is tied only in the playoff stages).
Injury time is added to the end of each 45-minute half to make up for the lost time because of injuries, substitutions, etc.
It is usually for 1 to 5 minutes, decided by the referee.
Does Every Soccer Match Have Overtime?
Not every match gets extra time. The rule only applies to knockout matches (like in the World Cup). If a league stage match is tied, it ends in a draw with both teams getting 1 point each.
Final Thoughts on Soccer Overtime Rules
Overtime isn’t just extra time for players to score goals; those extra 30 minutes make even the toughest fans grip their seats in anticipation, as they wait for their team to win. The physical and mental boundaries of players are tested when a 90-minute match goes on for 120 minutes or more. Keep following the 96 App for soccer betting, rewards and football-related information.
FAQs
How long is overtime in soccer?
Overtime in soccer lasts for 30 minutes, and it is divided into two 15-minute periods.
Does every soccer game go to overtime?
Only the knockout matches where a player has to be decided go to overtime.
Normal league matches end in a tie once the regular time ends.
What happens after overtime in soccer?
If a winner is still not decided after overtime, the match goes into a penalty shootout.
Both teams get 5 chances each; whoever scores the most goals wins. And if after that it is still tied, it becomes sudden death (the match continues until someone wins).
Is overtime different from stoppage time?
Yes, overtime is different from stoppage time.
Stoppage Time is added at the end of each 45 minutes to make up for the lost time because of injuries, substitutions and celebrations.
Overtime is for 30 minutes, after the regular 90 minutes, to decide a winner during the playoff stages.
How many overtime periods are there in soccer?
There are two overtime periods, each of 15-minutes, bringing it to a total of 30 minutes. And both periods have to be completed.
