Football Overtime Rules: How Extra Time Works

Key points for understanding football overtime

Identify the sport and competition. “Football” can mean American football or association football, and neither has one universal overtime rule. The league or tournament’s rules control.
Check whether a tie is allowed. Some regular-season games can finish level, while knockout games generally need a winner and therefore use extra time, a shootout, or another tiebreaker.
Know when overtime starts. In American football, a tied score at the end of regulation leads to an overtime period if that competition calls for one. In soccer, extra time is usually played after a tied score across the two legs or at the end of a knockout match.
Follow the sport’s scoring procedure. American football uses possessions and scoring conditions set by the applicable rules. Soccer extra time continues ordinary play, and a penalty shootout is a separate tiebreaker.
Use the competition rulebook for edge cases. Period length, possession order, sudden-death conditions, substitutions, and what happens if the score remains tied vary by code and competition.

What overtime means in different kinds of football

Overtime is a way to resolve a tie after normal playing time when the rules require a winner. It does not mean exactly the same thing across football codes. In American football, overtime is a distinct extra period with its own rules for possessions and winning scores. In association football, the usual term is “extra time”: two short periods added after the match’s normal 90 minutes and stoppage time in competitions that use it.

Some competitions do not use overtime at all. A league match may end in a draw, while a cup tie must produce a team that advances. Even within the same sport, one tournament may go straight to a shootout and another may schedule extra time first. Always distinguish the general idea—additional play after a tie—from the exact procedure in a particular league or tournament.

How American football overtime works

In American football, the referee conducts a coin toss to determine which team chooses an option such as receiving or defending, subject to the competition’s rules. The teams then play an overtime period. The period’s length, possession format, and conditions for ending the game differ between professional, college, and other levels, so a single description cannot accurately cover all of them.

Many current American-football formats give both teams an opportunity to possess the ball, with exceptions or special conditions for certain scores. A touchdown, field goal, safety, or defensive score may affect whether the game continues. Some formats also use a sudden-death finish after the initial opportunities; others use successive possessions or a different tiebreak procedure. The key point is that “first score wins” is not a safe assumption for every American-football game.

For example, if the first team’s opening possession ends with a field goal, the other team may have a chance to answer under the applicable rules. If it scores a touchdown, the game’s outcome depends on the specific overtime format and scoring sequence. If neither team secures a win during the scheduled overtime, some games can end tied, while others continue through additional periods or tiebreak rounds.

College football commonly uses a possession-based tiebreak format rather than simply adding a conventional timed quarter. Teams take turns trying to score from a designated field position, and later rounds can impose additional scoring constraints. This is why professional and college overtime should not be treated as interchangeable.

How soccer extra time and penalties work

In soccer, extra time is normally two periods of 15 minutes each, with a short interval between them. The teams change ends for the second period. The referee may add time for delays within each period, just as stoppage time is added during normal play. If one team leads when extra time ends, it wins; there is no automatic “next goal wins” rule under the standard modern procedure.

If the match remains tied after extra time and the competition requires a winner, a penalty shootout may follow. The teams take alternating kicks from the penalty mark, beginning with an initial set of five kicks per team. The shootout can end earlier if one side has an uncatchable lead; if scores are still level after the initial kicks, it proceeds to sudden-death kicks, where teams take one each until one scores and the other does not in the corresponding round. The competition’s procedures govern details such as eligible kickers and the order of kicks.

A shootout is not part of the match’s extra-time score in the usual sense. It determines which side advances or wins the tie, but the match result is generally recorded as the score after extra time, with the shootout outcome noted separately. A penalty shootout is also different from a penalty kick awarded during ordinary play: it is a structured tiebreaker rather than a live-play restart.

What to check before interpreting a tied game

Before assuming what happens next, find out which rules apply. A broadcast may use “overtime” loosely, even when the sport’s formal term is extra time, or it may summarize a specialized league rule. Check these details:

Competition and stage: A regular-season game and a knockout final can have different tie procedures.
Sport and level: Professional, college, youth, and international rules may not match.
Whether a draw is possible: A tie may be an accepted result in league play but not in an elimination match.
Overtime format: Look for period length, possession rules, and any sudden-death conditions.
End-of-period situation: A play already in progress or a special scoring event can affect whether another opportunity is allowed.

Common overtime misconceptions

“The first score always wins.” This is not true across American-football competitions, and it is not how standard soccer extra time works. The scoring conditions depend on the applicable rules.

“All football games must have a winner.” Many league games can end in a draw or tie. Extra play is commonest when a tournament needs a team to advance, but the competition decides.

“A soccer shootout is extra time.” They are separate stages. Extra time is open play; a shootout is a series of kicks used only if the tie remains unresolved and the rules require a winner.

“Overtime is the same everywhere in American football.” Professional and college formats differ, and rules can vary at other levels too. Check the relevant rulebook rather than relying on a familiar version.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is overtime in football?

There is no single duration. Soccer extra time is normally two 15-minute periods, plus any added time. American-football overtime length depends on the league or competition; college formats may use possessions rather than a conventional timed period.

Does the first team to score win in American football overtime?

Not necessarily. Some formats allow the opponent a chance to answer an opening score, and rules for touchdowns, field goals, and defensive scores can differ. Consult the rules for that league and season.

Can a football game end in a tie after overtime?

Yes, in competitions whose rules permit a tie, including some regular-season formats. A knockout match that requires a winner usually has another procedure, such as more overtime or a shootout.

Is soccer extra time sudden death?

No. Under the standard procedure, both 15-minute periods are played even if a team scores during the first one. If the score is still tied after extra time and a winner is needed, the match may go to a penalty shootout.

How many penalty kicks are taken in a soccer shootout?

Each team initially takes five kicks, but a shootout can finish sooner if the other team can no longer catch up. If the teams remain level after those kicks, they continue with one kick per side in sudden-death rounds.

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