Football Extra Time Rules: How It Works, When It’s Played, and What Happens Next
Extra time in football is 30 additional minutes — two equal halves of 15 minutes — played when a knockout match is tied after 90 minutes and the competition rules say there must be a winner. If the score is still level after those 30 minutes, the match goes to a penalty shootout. That is the short answer, and it comes from IFAB Law 7, the law covering the duration of a match.
But there is more to it. When exactly is extra time played? What happens in the break before it starts? Can teams make extra substitutions? And why do some tournaments skip it entirely? This guide explains the extra time football rules in simple language, so you will never be confused when a big match runs past the 90.
If you are new to the sport, start with our football basic rules for beginners guide — then come back here for the full extra-time picture.
What Is Extra Time in Football?
Extra time is a separate phase of play added after normal time (90 minutes plus stoppage time) when a match ends in a draw but the competition needs a winner. The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which writes the Laws of the Game, sets this out in Law 7: competition rules may provide for two further equal periods, not exceeding 15 minutes each.
In plain terms, extra time is not part of the regular 90 minutes. It is a brand-new 30-minute mini-match added to the end of the game. Both teams start level, and everything in it — goals, fouls, cards, substitutions — counts toward the final result.
When Is Extra Time Played?
Extra time is only played in matches where a winner must be decided — knockout football. You will see it in:
- FIFA World Cup knockout rounds: Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final
- UEFA Champions League knockout ties level on aggregate
- Domestic cups like the FA Cup, Copa del Rey, and DFB-Pokal
You will not see it in league matches or group-stage games, because those allow draws. A 1–1 draw in the Premier League or a World Cup group game is a valid result — both teams take a point.
One wrinkle: some competitions skip extra time and go straight to penalties. Certain Copa América editions and some early domestic cup rounds have used this shortcut to spare players extra fatigue. So extra time is the standard tiebreaker, but not universal.
How Long Is Extra Time in Football?
Extra time lasts 30 minutes, split into two halves of 15 minutes each. This is fixed by IFAB — no competition can change it. Here is how it fits into the match:
- 0–90 minutes: Normal time (two 45-minute halves), plus stoppage time
- Short break: A brief interval before extra time — far shorter than half-time
- First period: 15 minutes, restarted with a kick-off
- Brief pause: Teams switch ends; no long break between periods
- Second period: 15 minutes, restarted with a kick-off
The referee can add a little stoppage time within each 15-minute period for injuries or major delays. For the full timing picture, see our guide to football match duration rules.
How Extra Time Works, Step by Step
- Full-time whistle, scores level. The referee confirms the score. Players get a short break and usually stay on or near the pitch — no dressing-room trip like at half-time.
- Coin toss. The winning captain chooses to kick off or pick an end, much like the pre-match toss.
- First period. Play restarts with a kick-off for 15 minutes of often chaotic football — tired legs, nervous passes, frantic touchline instructions.
- Switch ends. A very brief pause while teams change ends. No long break, no fresh team talks.
- Second period. Another kick-off, another 15 minutes. Whoever leads at the end wins outright.
- Still level? Penalties. The match goes to a penalty shootout.
Extra Time vs Stoppage Time: What’s the Difference?
This is the most common confusion for new fans. The two are completely different:
| Stoppage Time (Added Time) | Extra Time | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Minutes added at the end of each half | A separate 30-minute phase after the match |
| Why | Compensates for delays: injuries, subs, VAR, time-wasting | Decides a winner when a knockout tie is level |
| When | Every match, end of each half | Only knockouts that need a winner |
| How long | Usually 1–10+ minutes, referee’s call | Fixed: two 15-minute halves |
| Part of the 90? | Yes | No — it comes after normal time |
When the fourth official’s board shows “+6”, that’s stoppage time. When the clock hits 90:00 in a tied World Cup quarter-final, that’s when extra time begins.
What Rules Change During Extra Time?
Most laws apply identically — offside, fouls, penalties, and cards all work the same. But a few things differ:
- One extra substitution is allowed. Competitions permitting five subs in normal time allow one more in extra time — a sixth sub. This IFAB provision helps exhausted teams, which is why fresh legs often appear right before or during extra time.
- Yellow cards carry over. A player booked in normal time is still on a yellow — a second yellow in extra time means a red card. But cautions are wiped before a shootout: nobody can be sent off during penalties for earlier yellows.
- No golden goal. Both 15-minute periods are always played in full, even if someone scores in the first minute. The golden goal and silver goal experiments were abolished by IFAB in 2004. Read the full story in our football golden goal rule article.
- Goals count normally. Any goal in extra time counts toward the final result.
What Happens If the Score Is Still Level After Extra Time?
The match is decided by kicks from the penalty mark — the penalty shootout. Teams take five kicks alternately; the higher scorer wins. Still tied after five each? Sudden death: one kick each until one team scores and the other misses. Only players on the pitch when extra time ends may take part.
Famous Extra-Time Moments in Football History
- 2014 World Cup Final: Mario Götze volleyed home in the 113th minute to give Germany a 1–0 win over Argentina.
- 2022 World Cup Final: Messi and Mbappé traded goals in a breathtaking extra-time period before Argentina won the shootout.
- 2005 Champions League Final: Liverpool survived extra time in Istanbul after their miracle comeback, then beat AC Milan on penalties.
Real Match Case Study: The 2022 World Cup Final — Extra Time at Its Wildest
On 18 December 2022, Argentina and France produced the most dramatic extra-time period in World Cup history at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. After 90 minutes the score was 2–2: Argentina had led 2–0 through Lionel Messi’s penalty and Ángel Di María’s counterattack goal, only for Kylian Mbappé to score twice in two minutes (80th and 81st) to force the additional 30 minutes.
Extra time showed exactly how the rules work in practice. In the 108th minute, Messi bundled home from close range to make it 3–2 — proof that goals in extra time count exactly like any other goal, and that play continues even after someone scores (there is no golden goal anymore). Both managers turned to fresh legs from the bench deep into the game, exactly the situation the extra-substitution rule exists for.
Then came the 118th minute: Gonzalo Montiel was penalised for handball in the box, and Mbappé converted the penalty to complete his hat-trick — 3–3. When the final whistle blew after 120 minutes plus stoppage time, the match went to a penalty shootout, just as the laws prescribe when extra time cannot separate the teams. Argentina won the shootout 4–2 after Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni failed to convert, with Montiel scoring the decisive kick.
The final is the perfect illustration of this article’s rules: a separate 30-minute phase, goals counting normally, no sudden-death shortcut, and penalties as the ultimate decider.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is extra time in football?
30 minutes, divided into two equal 15-minute halves. It’s played after the 90 minutes of normal time (plus stoppage time) when a knockout match is tied and the competition requires a winner.
Is there a break before extra time starts?
Yes, but it’s short — far briefer than the 15-minute half-time break. Players stay on or near the pitch, take on water, and get quick tactical instructions before play restarts with a kick-off.
Can teams make extra substitutions in extra time?
Yes. Where competition rules allow it, each team gets one additional substitution in extra time beyond the normal allowance — so five subs becomes six in most top competitions.
Do yellow cards carry over into extra time?
Yes. A caution from normal time still counts, so a second yellow in extra time means dismissal. However, yellow cards are not carried into the penalty shootout.
What happens if the match is still a draw after extra time?
The winner is decided by a penalty shootout: five kicks each, then sudden death if still level.
Conclusion
Extra time is football’s ultimate pressure test: 30 extra minutes — two 15-minute halves — that turn a tied knockout match into a battle of nerve and fitness. It only happens when a winner must be found, brings an extra substitution and no golden goal, and hands the decision to penalties if it still can’t split the teams.
Next time a commentator says “we’re going to extra time,” you’ll know exactly what happens next. For more simple explanations of the Laws of the Game, explore our guides here at GameGuidelines — including the story behind retired rules in our golden goal article and the official wording in the IFAB Laws of the Game.
