How Long Is a Soccer Game? Halftime, Stoppage Time and Extra Time Explained
A standard adult soccer game has 90 minutes of regulation time, split into two 45-minute halves. Halftime and stoppage time make the elapsed time longer. Matches that require a winner may also include extra time and a penalty shootout, depending on the competition’s rules.
How long is a soccer game including halftime?
With a 15-minute halftime interval, the basic schedule takes 105 minutes before stoppage time is included. That is one hour and 45 minutes from kickoff, with the final whistle coming later once the referee’s allowances are counted.
Standard adult soccer uses halves. Quarter-based formats appear in some youth and school competitions, which have their own timing rules.
Hypothetical example: A game starts at 7 p.m., has three minutes of first-half stoppage time, a 15-minute halftime and five minutes added to the second half. Its elapsed time is 113 minutes, putting the final whistle at 8:53 p.m. Longer interruptions or a different halftime interval would change that calculation.
For planning an evening, separate the advertised kickoff from the broadcast’s start time. Pregame coverage, travel and getting out of the stadium belong in your schedule too. The arithmetic above illustrates one match; it does not establish a guaranteed finishing time.
From kickoff to the end of regulation
- 1. First half
45 minutes - 2. Added time
Variable - 3. Halftime
Up to 15 minutes - 4. Second half
45 minutes - 5. Added time
Variable
Additional stages, only when the competition requires them
What is stoppage time, and why does the clock keep running?
The match clock keeps running through ordinary interruptions. IFAB’s guidance for match officials distinguishes natural pauses, such as routine throw-ins and goal kicks, from excessive delays. The 90-minute clock therefore includes periods when the ball is out of play.
The referee acts as the official timekeeper. The stadium or television display helps spectators follow the game, while the referee manages its timing.
Under IFAB Law 7, time lost to injuries, substitutions, disciplinary action, time-wasting, goal celebrations, VAR checks and other significant delays is allowed for at the end of each half. Stoppage time is also called added time or injury time.
The board shows the minimum additional time. Further delays can extend it. A displayed five minutes therefore allows play to continue beyond five added minutes when more time is lost. There is no universal fixed allowance for every substitution or goal.
Stoppage time completes the half already being played. Extra time is a separate stage used to help decide a winner. A league game can have several added minutes and finish as a draw.
Can a soccer game end in a tie?
Yes. League matches and many group-stage games can finish with equal scores. Whether a winner is needed depends on the competition and the stage of the event.
In the 2026 MLS regular season, a win earns three points, a draw earns one and a loss earns none. A hypothetical 1–1 game would give both teams one point. League tables also track GF, GA and GD to show goals scored, goals conceded and goal difference.
A two-leg knockout contest adds another distinction: the score in one match and the combined, or aggregate, score answer different questions. Suppose Team A wins the first leg 2–0 and draws the second 1–1. The second match is a draw, but Team A wins 3–1 on aggregate. A level aggregate score triggers whatever deciding procedure that competition specifies.
When are extra time and penalties used?
IFAB Law 10 allows competitions to use two equal extra-time periods of up to 15 minutes each. A full 30-minute extra-time stage takes the scheduled match time to 120 minutes, before intervals and stoppage time.
The competition’s format matters. In the 2026 MLS playoffs, tied Wild Card and Round One matches go directly to penalties. Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals and MLS Cup use two complete 15-minute extra-time periods before a shootout if the teams remain level.
Goals scored in extra time count toward the match score. A player who scores once during regulation and once in extra time has scored a brace. Successful shootout kicks are recorded separately.
The shootout happens after the match. Each team initially has up to five alternating kicks, with the contest ending early if the trailing team cannot catch up. If the teams remain level after five kicks apiece, they continue until one leads after both have taken the same number of kicks.
There is no fixed number of minutes for a shootout. For a knockout game, leave room in your plans for the deciding procedure listed in that competition’s rules.
How long are youth and high-school soccer games?
Youth soccer
Youth matches often use shorter periods, and younger age groups may play quarters. IFAB permits modified match durations for youth soccer. The relevant association and competition determine the actual format.
Check the team’s league or tournament rules for its age group, break lengths and any overtime procedure. A youth schedule should be built around those rules.
US high-school soccer
The 2026–27 NFHS Soccer Guide lists two 40-minute halves or four 20-minute quarters, giving 80 minutes of regulation time. State associations determine the applicable format and overtime provisions.
NFHS timing includes clock stoppages for events such as goals, penalty kicks, cautions, sendings-off and injuries. There are also specific substitution-related clock rules. Those stoppages affect elapsed time, so the professional running-clock example above should not be applied to a high-school match.
For a state-specific example, Oregon’s 2026 soccer rules prescribe two 40-minute halves and allow preseason and regular-season games to end in draws. Postseason deciding procedures are covered separately.
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