Extra Time Explained

What extra time is

Extra time is an additional period played when a knockout match is level after 90 minutes and a winner must be found. It consists of two halves of 15 minutes each, played in full, before the match — if still level — goes to a penalty shootout. Unlike a league game, which can simply end in a draw, a knockout tie has to produce a winner, and extra time is the first attempt to do so.

How it works

• Two 15-minute halves are played, with a short break to change ends (but usually no long half-time interval).

• Both halves are always played in full — extra time is not sudden death; a goal does not end the game.

• Teams are typically allowed an additional substitution during extra time, on top of their normal allocation.

• If the scores are still level after the full 30 minutes, the tie is decided by a penalty shootout.

Why it exists

Extra time gives teams a fair chance to settle the match through actual football before resorting to penalties. Thirty extra minutes often reveal a difference in fitness, squad depth or nerve that 90 minutes did not — tiring legs create mistakes and chances. Managers who used their bench wisely often gain the edge as the game stretches.

The golden goal and silver goal

For a period around 1993–2004, football experimented with two now-abolished rules:

• Golden goal ("sudden death"): the first team to score in extra time won immediately, ending the match.

• Silver goal: a team leading at the end of the first extra-time half won, without the second half being played.

Both were intended to encourage attacking play but often did the opposite — teams became terrified of conceding and played cautiously. They were scrapped, and extra time returned to two full halves.

Related guides

• The Penalty Shootout Explained

• Added Time (Stoppage Time) Explained