The phrase “extra time” is self-explanatory. It simply means extra time has been added to a task.
If you have a deadline to meet at work and you request extra time, you have requested more time to complete that task. In sports, it’s not the same thing.
When extra time is added to sports games, it means the referee or umpire deems that the player(s) need to complete a phase of play. But not all sports give extra time.
In the following article, you will learn all about extra time in soccer, its history, and why it is given.
What is Extra Time for in Soccer?
First of all, you need to know that extra time is not a common concept in all sports and like I said, not all sports give extra time. Also, in some sports, it is called OVERTIME.
Sports that give extra time include:
- Soccer (football)
- American football
- Basketball
- Rugby
- Handball
- Cricket
- Field hockey
- Ice hockey
- Baseball etc.
These sports give extra time at the end of regulation time because ties are not an acceptable result. A winner must emerge from the games where extra time is deployed.
Extra time is given in soccer (football) matches after the 90 minutes for the match is used up. As you already know, the 90 minutes of game time in soccer is divided into two halves of 45 minutes, each with a 15-minute rest break in between.
In those 90 minutes, the referee adds time to make up for stoppages, substitutions, and any other eventualities. This is referred to as ADDITIONAL TIME.
By the end of extra time, professional soccer players would have spent 120 minutes (2 hours) on the field.
Why is Extra Time Given in Football?
If a game between the USMNT and the Mexico national football team were to take place and that game must have a winner, extra time would be deployed if, after 90 minutes, the game is still tied. This does not happen in every soccer game, though, and I will tell you why.
I have mentioned ADDITIONAL TIME earlier. You can read all about it by clicking this link. This time differs from extra time in that one is added to the 90 minutes, and the other is a separate clock on its own.
Regular soccer games—league games, tournament group stage games, and exhibition games—do not need extra time if they are tied after 90 minutes plus additional time. However, if the game is a tournament knockout game, extra time will be added.
This is a separate 30-minute clock that is started by the referee for the players to duke it out and make sure that one team comes out on top. In essence, a team must be knocked out.
Can Soccer End in a Tie?
Soccer matches end in ties all the time. In fact, this is a concept that many of us North Americans struggle with, where the sport is one of the least popular.
If the game is a friendly exhibition game, it can end in a tie. This is the same for regular league games and tournament group stage games as explained under the previous heading.
Soccer is a game of 22 players (divided into two teams of 11) on the largest playing surface of all ball sports (after golf).
The coaches of both teams are always strategizing on how to stop the other team from scoring and engage in a tactical battle to stop all goal attempts.
When both coaches—and both sets of players—successfully cancel each other out, the game ends in a tie.
This result is only unacceptable when the competition is a tournament and both teams compete in a knockout game. 30 minutes of extra time is deployed for both teams to try and knock the other out of the tournament.
Final Thoughts
Extra time in soccer adds to the excitement of the sport for fans.
Unfortunately, games that end in a tie show the tactical prowess of both teams’ coaches and the tactical ability of the players on the field.
Tied games also testify to the players’ physical and mental ability, as it takes a lot to fight back from losing positions to tie a game or to prevent one another from scoring.
Extra time is divided into two halves of 15 minutes each to mirror the regulation time of two halves of 45 minutes each to give 90 minutes. The rules of the game apply in extra time as in regulation time.
There used to be a sudden-death option in soccer extra time called the Golden Goal. This meant that the first team to break the tie at any point during extra time would be declared the winner.
It was discontinued after the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, and now, extra time operates just like regular time, only 60 minutes shorter.
