What is extra time?
Extra time (ET) is an official provision in the Laws of the Game issued by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). It is additional playing time used to determine the winner in matches that cannot be ended in a draw, typically in knockout rounds or finals.
Illustration: AI
Extra time has the following structure:
- Total time: 30 minutes.
- Number of rounds: Divided into two rounds.
- Each half lasts 15 minutes.
- Halftime break: There is a short break (about 1 minute) between the two extra time periods for teams to switch sides and drink water. There is no longer a technical break like between the two regular halves.
- Switch sides: Teams will switch sides after the first 15 minutes of extra time have elapsed.
- After the 90 minutes of regular time, the teams are given a break of about 5 minutes before the start of the first extra time period.
Distinguishing between extra time and injury time
Fans often confuse these two concepts.
Criteria | Extra Time | Stoppage Time/Added Time |
|---|---|---|
Define | This is an additional 30 minutes of playing time, applied after the 90 minutes of regular time (including injury time) end in a draw. | This is the amount of time decided by the referee and added at the end of each half to compensate for wasted/interrupted time. |
Duration | The total time is 30 minutes, divided into two 15-minute halves. | It lasts for a few minutes (not fixed), as decided by the referee based on interruptions that occur during the half. |
Purpose | Determining the winner and loser in knockout matches. | Compensation for lost playing time due to substitutions, injuries, disciplinary actions, or VAR checks. |
Time of occurrence | This takes place after the 90 minutes of regular time have ended if the score is tied. | Bonus points are added at the end of each half (half 1, half 2, and both overtime periods, if any). |
Terms and conditions apply | This only applies in knockout stages or finals, when a winner needs to be determined. It is rarely applied in group stages/qualifying rounds. | This applies to all matches (regardless of whether the score is a draw). |
Substitution | Teams are usually allowed to use a sixth (additional) substitution. | Substitutions made during injury time still count towards the team's total allowed substitutions (maximum 5 substitutions in 90 minutes, plus 1 in extra time). |
Conditions for applying extra time
Extra time is not applied to every match that ends in a draw. This depends on the regulations of each tournament and usually only appears in knockout matches:
- Knockout Stages: These apply from the Round of 16 onwards in major tournaments such as the World Cup, Euro, and Champions League.
- Finals: World Cup final, Champions League final, and national cup finals.
- Play-off matches: Matches for promotion, relegation avoidance, or a last-chance playoff spot, especially when the away goals rule does not apply or is insufficient to determine the winner.
Conversely, group stage or qualifying matches that award points will end in a draw immediately after 90 minutes.
Rules and regulations for extra time
The rules for extra time largely follow the standard rules of football, but there are important adjustments regarding substitutions and how time is handled.
- Substitutions: The rules for substitutions in extra time have been updated to help teams cope with physical fatigue. Each team is allowed a sixth substitution if the match goes into extra time. This is in addition to the five substitutions allowed in the 90 minutes of regular time. Teams have a maximum of three stoppages for substitutions in 90 minutes, and one additional stoppage in extra time. Substitutions made at halftime, between regular time and extra time, or between two periods of extra time do not count as a stoppage.
Stage | Number of players substituted | Maximum number of game stops. |
90 minutes of regular time | 5 players | 3 turns |
Extra time | Add one more player | Add 1 more turn (total 4 turns) |
- Penalty Cards: Yellow and red cards received during extra time count as if they were in regular time. A player who has received a yellow card in regular time and receives a second yellow card in extra time will be sent off.
- VAR ( Video Assistant Referee): VAR technology continues to be applied in extra time to assist referees in crucial decisions such as goals, penalties, and direct red cards.
- Added Time in Extra Time: Similar to regular time, the referee may add extra time at the end of each extra time period (15 minutes each) to compensate for time lost due to injuries, substitutions, VAR checks, or other situations.
The role of extra time
- Determining a deserving winner: Extra time gives teams more time to showcase their abilities, helping to ensure that the winner is the most deserving team and not just based on luck.
- Increased drama and excitement: This phase is usually played at a tense pace, with players showing greater determination, creating more dangerous situations, and attracting the attention of fans.
- An opportunity to showcase their character: Extra time is a moment for players to demonstrate their willpower and determination. They tend to play more offensively and take more risks, thereby creating memorable moments.
The rules of extra time have been abolished.
In the past, FIFA has experimented with different rules to minimize penalty shootouts, but they have all been abandoned.
- Golden Goal: Applied from 1993 to 2004, this rule stipulated that the team scoring the first goal in extra time would win immediately and the match would end. However, it was criticized for encouraging negative defensive play.
- Silver Goal: Briefly in existence from 2002 to 2004, this rule stipulated that the team leading after the first period of extra time would be declared the winner.
Currently, the rule of playing 30 minutes of extra time is applied worldwide , ensuring both teams have enough time to play and preventing the match from ending abruptly.
Extra time periods have gone down in football history.
Extra time is where many unforgettable historical moments in football are born.
- 1994 World Cup Final: Roberto Baggio's goal in extra time helped Italy defeat Brazil.
- 2006 World Cup Final: Zinedine Zidane was sent off after headbutting Marco Materazzi, and Italy won on penalties.
- 2014 Champions League Final: Real Madrid scored three consecutive goals in extra time to defeat Atlético Madrid 4-1, fulfilling their dream of "La Décima".
- 2014 World Cup Final: Mario Götze scored the winning goal to give Germany the title.
- 2022 World Cup Final: Kylian Mbappé's hat-trick helped France equalize 3-3, forcing the match into extra time and then a penalty shootout.
Could extra time be eliminated?
Having to play an extra 30 minutes after a tense 90 minutes puts immense physical pressure on players, draining their energy for attacking teams, giving an advantage to teams playing defensively, and providing additional substitutions for coaches to bring in players with good physical condition or speed to create breakthroughs… Therefore, the future of extra time is being discussed.
UEFA is seriously considering eliminating extra time in Champions League knockout matches. Matches could go straight to penalty shootouts after 90 minutes of regular time to reduce the workload for players and avoid tedious extra time periods where teams tend to play cautiously.
This change is unlikely to happen before the current Champions League television rights contract expires in 2027. Prior to that, UEFA abolished the extra time rule in the UEFA Super Cup in 2023.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hiep-phu-extra-time-la-gi-2477762.html
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