How Does Extra Time Work in Football?

How extra time works: five key points

Check the competition rules. Extra time is not automatic whenever a match is tied. It is used when the rules for that competition require a winner after normal time; some competitions instead allow a draw or go straight to a penalty shoot-out.
Finish the full 90 minutes. A standard match has two 45-minute halves, plus stoppage time added by the referee. If the score is still level at the end of the second half, the match proceeds according to its competition rules.
Play two 15-minute periods. When extra time is required, teams play two periods of 15 minutes each, with a short interval between them. The referee may add time to either period for stoppages.
Apply the competition’s winner rule. If one team leads after extra time, it wins. If the score remains level, the competition normally uses a penalty shoot-out or another method specified in its regulations.
Use available substitutions and cautions correctly. Substitution allowances depend on the competition rules, including any extra-time allowance. Yellow cards and other disciplinary decisions remain relevant under the applicable rules; extra time does not reset the match’s discipline.

What extra time means—and when it is used

Extra time is additional playing time used to decide a match that must produce a winner but is still tied after normal time. The term is most commonly relevant in knockout football: a cup tie, a tournament elimination match or a two-legged tie whose aggregate score is level. It is not a routine addition to every tied league match.

The Laws of the Game set the standard format for extra time, but the competition’s regulations decide whether it is needed and what happens if the score stays level. A competition can specify extra time, a direct shoot-out, or another permitted way to determine the winner. Always check the rules for the particular match rather than assuming every knockout game follows the same route.

For example, if a knockout match is 1–1 after normal time and its rules call for extra time, the teams play the two additional periods. A goal during extra time does not automatically end the game: play continues until the scheduled period, including any added time, is complete. The team ahead at the end wins. If the score is still tied, the rules determine the next step.

How the clock and intervals are handled

Extra time is divided into two periods of 15 minutes, not one uninterrupted 30-minute period. The referee allows a short interval between them, during which players may receive instructions and change ends. It is not the same as the longer half-time interval between the regular 45-minute halves.

The 15 minutes in each period are playing time. The referee can add time for delays, such as substitutions, injuries, or other interruptions. Therefore, a match can take longer than 30 minutes of extra time in real time. The referee is responsible for keeping time and determining how much time is added; the exact finish is not necessarily at the moment a clock display reaches 15 or 30.

There is no golden-goal rule in the standard Laws of the Game. Under golden goal, the first team to score would win immediately, but that is not the normal current procedure. Unless a competition has a specific permitted provision, both extra-time periods are played in full, even if a goal puts one team ahead early.

Substitutions, cards and other match rules

Extra time does not create a universal substitution number. The competition regulations set the permitted number of substitutes and whether an additional substitution opportunity or substitute is available when a match goes to extra time. These details can differ between competitions, so the match regulations—not a general assumption—are the reliable guide.

The referee continues to apply the Laws of the Game during extra time. Fouls can result in free kicks or penalties, and serious misconduct can lead to a sending-off. A caution from normal time does not simply disappear when extra time begins. How cautions are carried forward or treated for later matches can depend on competition regulations, so it is useful to distinguish the rules for the match itself from tournament suspension rules.

Players also continue to follow the ordinary rules for the match, including offside and the conditions for a goal. A goal counts only if it is scored in accordance with the Laws. If an injury or other stoppage occurs, the referee can add time at the end of the relevant extra-time period.

Extra time compared with penalties

Extra time and a penalty shoot-out are different ways of deciding a tied match. Extra time is open play: the teams try to score under the normal rules over two periods. A shoot-out follows only if the competition rules require it and the match is still level after the applicable playing time.

In a shoot-out, eligible players take kicks from the penalty mark in turn, following the procedure in the Laws and competition regulations. It is not simply an extension of extra time, and shoot-out goals do not count as goals scored during the match for its playing-time score. The shoot-out decides which team advances or wins the tie.

Some competitions may go straight to a shoot-out after normal time rather than play extra time. Others may use extra time first. A draw can also be an acceptable result in a league match, so no extra time or shoot-out is needed. These are competition-format choices, not contradictions in the basic rule.

What to check first and common misconceptions

Before interpreting a match situation, check the competition’s regulations or official match information. In particular, look for whether a winner is required, whether the tie is judged over one match or an aggregate score, whether extra time is played, and what follows if the score remains level.

A tie does not always mean extra time: in many league matches, a draw stands as the result.
A goal does not usually end extra time immediately: the remaining period is played, including any time added by the referee.
Extra time is not the same as stoppage time: stoppage time is added to a regular or extra-time period to account for delays; extra time is the additional pair of periods used to resolve a tie.
“Thirty minutes” is not always the full elapsed duration: intervals and added time can make the real-time extension longer.
There is no universal rule for every tournament’s substitutions or next step: the competition’s regulations supply those details.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is extra time in football?

It is normally two periods of 15 minutes, for 30 minutes of scheduled playing time, with a short interval between periods. The referee may add time for stoppages, so the elapsed time can be longer.

Does extra time start if a football match is tied?

Only if the competition rules require a winner and specify extra time as part of the procedure. A tied league match, for example, can finish as a draw; some knockout competitions use a shoot-out without extra time.

Does the first goal in extra time win the match?

No, not under the standard procedure. The teams complete both extra-time periods, including time added by the referee, even if one side scores and takes the lead early.

What happens if the score is still tied after extra time?

The competition regulations determine the outcome. A penalty shoot-out is a common method, but the precise procedure should be checked in the rules for that competition.

Is extra time the same as stoppage time?

No. Stoppage time is time added to a scheduled period to account for delays. Extra time is a separate additional phase, usually two 15-minute periods, played when a competition needs to resolve a tied match.

Sources: The IFAB Laws of the Game. Menus and buttons can differ slightly by version. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.