Why do FIFA games go over 90 minutes?
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FIFA games go over 90 minutes due to the addition of stoppage time, which is included to account for injuries, goal celebrations, and other stoppages that occur during the match, and in some cases, extra time is added if the score is tied at the end of the regular 90 minutes. The extra time is divided into two 15-minute periods, with a short break in between, and if the score remains tied after extra time, the game proceeds to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
FIFA Game Time Extensions
Understanding Stoppage Time
FIFA games are allowed to extend beyond the standard 90 minutes of play due to various factors such as injuries, VAR decisions, substitutions, penalties, and red cards, which cause time-wasting and result in stoppage time being added to the game.
Extra Time and Penalty Shootouts
In the event of a tie after 90 minutes, extra time is played, consisting of two 15-minute periods, with a short break in between, and if the score remains tied after extra time, the game proceeds to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
- What happens if a game is tied after 90 minutes?: If a game is tied after 90 minutes of play, there will be a five-minute break and then the match will go into overtime, where an extra 30 minutes of time will be given, divided into two 15-minute periods.
- Why do FIFA games have extra time?: A game in the knockout rounds needs a winner, so in the event of a tie, the game will go to extra time to determine the winner.
- Can a World Cup final end in a tie?: According to the Golden Goal rule, any team who scores the first goal in their spare time wins the game, but if the match results in a tie after extra time, the result of the game is decided by a penalty shootout.
Specific Scenarios
- What happens if the USA and England tie?: If the United States ties England, the Americans would advance with a win against Iran, but would be eliminated by a draw or a loss.
- What happens if Argentina and France tie?: If Argentina and France tie, penalty kicks will follow after extra time, with each team alternating for five sets of penalty kicks, and if the score remains tied, the shootout goes into sudden death.
Rules and Regulations
- How much extra time is allowed in FIFA?: Extra time at a World Cup is set at 30 minutes, divided into two 15-minute periods, with a short break in between, and time can also be added to both periods for substitutions, injuries, and delays.
- What happens if a penalty shootout never ends?: In a penalty shootout, each team alternates for five sets of penalty kicks, and if the score remains tied after the initial five sets, the shootout goes into sudden death.
Records and History
- What’s the longest soccer game in history?: The longest football match in recorded history was the showdown between English clubs Stockport County and Doncaster Rovers at Edgeley Park on March 30, 1946, lasting a remarkable three hours and 23 minutes.
- What is the longest World Cup game ever played?: England’s 6-2 victory against Iran on Monday lasted a record-breaking 117 minutes, with 14 minutes 08 seconds of stoppage time in the first half and 13 minutes 08 seconds in the second.
Player and Team Records
- Who is the oldest player to ever play in the World Cup?: As of November 2022, Egypt’s Essam El-Hadary was the oldest player to ever play in the FIFA World Cup, having been 45 years and 161 days old when he made his World Cup debut against Saudi Arabia in 2018.
- How many penalties did Argentina get in the 2023 World Cup?: Argentina was awarded the most penalties in a World Cup, with a total of five penalties awarded, ahead of Portugal (1966) and the Netherlands (1978).
Miscellaneous
- Why is there so much extra time in Qatar?: The contributors to added time are injuries, VAR decisions, substitutions, penalties, and red cards, in addition to any time-wasting antics by the players.
- Can World Cup games go into overtime?: FIFA’s extra time rules are simple, and if a match ends in a draw after 90 minutes, the game goes into extra time to determine the winner.
- What happens if nobody scores in a World Cup game?: The team scoring the greater number of goals is the winner, and if both teams score no goals or an equal number of goals, the match is drawn.
- Has there ever been a World Cup without a penalty shootout?: FIFA adopted the penalty shootout rule for the 1978 World Cup held in Argentina, but it was not required in that edition, and the first time that a penalty shootout decided a World Cup match was at the 1982 edition held in Spain.