Added time compensates for time lost at the end of a half, while extra time is two equal new periods of no more than 15 minutes each, played only when competition rules require a winner after a draw.
Extra time begins only after the scheduled two halves and the added time for those halves have been completed. A display such as 90+4 therefore describes added time in the second half; it does not mark the fourth minute of extra time.
Why are added time and extra time often confused?
Both terms describe football played beyond the familiar 90-minute mark, so they are easy to mix up in a live match. A referee may allow several extra minutes at the end of the second half, and a knockout match may later go into two new periods. The clock runs beyond 90 in both cases, but the reason and the match stage are different.
The simplest test is to ask what the additional minutes are doing. Added time restores time lost during a half that is already in progress. Extra time opens two new periods after the scheduled match, including its added time, has ended and the competition rules still require a winner.
What is added time?
Law 7 of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) defines a match as two equal halves of 45 minutes. During each half, the referee accounts for playing time lost through events such as substitutions, assessing or removing injured players, time-wasting, disciplinary action, permitted medical stoppages, VAR checks or reviews, goal celebrations, and other significant delays to a restart.
The fourth official announces the minimum additional time decided by the referee at the end of the final minute of the half. “Minimum” is the key word. If another significant delay occurs during that period, the referee may increase the time to be played. The announced amount may be increased, but it may not be reduced simply because the match is approaching its final whistle.
For example, +4 at the end of the second half means that at least four minutes of added time have been announced. It should not be treated as an absolute countdown that forces the match to end at exactly 90+4. A new injury or another major delay near the end can extend the time that is played. Added time remains part of the half already under way; it does not turn into extra time by itself.
If a penalty kick must be taken or retaken as a half is ending, the half is extended until that kick has been completed under Law 7. That extension completes the current half. It is not the start of extra time.
What is extra time?
Extra time is used only when the competition rules require a winner after a drawn match or after a drawn two-leg tie. A league match can finish as a draw, so a draw alone does not automatically create extra time. A cup or knockout competition may choose extra time, a penalty shoot-out, or another procedure permitted by its regulations.
Law 10 lists the procedures that may be used when a competition must determine a winning team: the away-goals rule, two equal periods of extra time not exceeding 15 minutes each, penalties, or a combination of those procedures. The competition regulations decide which option applies in a particular event. This page uses “extra time” for the two new on-field periods and keeps the penalty shoot-out as a separate procedure.
The order matters. First, the teams complete the second 45-minute half and its added time. If the score is still level and the competition regulations specify extra time, the teams play the two extra-time periods. Some competitions instead proceed directly to a shoot-out. Extra time consists of two equal periods, with each period no longer than 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes is therefore a maximum under the basic law, not a promise that every competition will use a full 30 minutes. Any competition-specific format must be checked in its own regulations.
Quick comparison
| Point of comparison | Added time / stoppage time | Extra time |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Restores playing time lost during a half | Provides new playing time to determine a winner when the rules require it |
| When it appears | At the end of a half, after the referee accounts for delays in that half | After the two scheduled halves and their added time have ended, if the rules require it |
| Does it require a draw? | No. A match can have added time whether a team is leading or the score is level | Usually considered when a match or two-leg tie is level and the rules require a winner |
| Structure | Not a new half; it extends the half already being played | Two new periods of equal length |
| Duration | Not fixed; the announced amount is a minimum and may increase | Each period is no longer than 15 minutes and the two periods must be equal |
| Who controls it? | The referee determines the allowance; the fourth official indicates the minimum | The competition regulations determine whether it is used and what procedure follows |
| How to read the clock | 90+3 is the end of the second half with added time | A goal after extra time begins is an extra-time goal |
| What can follow? | The half or match ends when its required time is complete, subject to the laws | A penalty shoot-out or another permitted procedure may follow if the rules say so |
How to read a time display
Broadcasts commonly write 45+2 and 90+5 to show moments in added time at the end of the first and second halves. The plus sign is not the name of extra time. It tells viewers that the match has gone beyond the scheduled 45 or 90 minutes while the current half is still being completed.
Extra time has its own periods and sequence. Do not add the +5 shown at the end of the second half directly to a 15-minute extra-time period and call the total one block. The correct sequence is: complete the two scheduled halves, complete their added time, check the competition rules, and then start two equal extra-time periods if the conditions are met.
Four original examples
Example 1 — A league match ends at 90+5: Team A and Team B are level at 1–1 after 90 minutes. The fourth official has indicated +5 because of substitutions and a VAR review. Team A scores at 90+3, and the match finishes 2–1. That goal is an added-time goal in the second half. The match does not have extra time simply because it passed the 90-minute mark.
Example 2 — A knockout match must produce a winner: Team C and Team D are still level at 0–0 after 90 minutes plus added time. The competition regulations require a winner and specify extra time before a shoot-out. After the interval set by the regulations, the teams play two equal extra-time periods; in this example, each lasts 15 minutes. If the score remains level, the next step is a shoot-out if the regulations provide for one. The shoot-out is not a third extra-time period.
Example 3 — A further delay occurs in added time: The referee announces a minimum of four added minutes. Around 90+3, a player needs treatment and play stops. The referee may allow more time for the new delay. This is still added time in the second half; it is not an automatic trigger for extra time.
Example 4 — A penalty at the end of a half: A penalty kick is awarded just before the half is due to end. The half is extended until the kick, or a retake when required, is completed under the laws. That is the completion of the current half. Extra time can be considered only after the scheduled match and its added time have ended and the competition rules call for it.
A three-step test
- Identify the current stage: if the referee is restoring time lost at the end of a half, it is added time.
- Complete the second 45-minute half and its added time before considering what comes next.
- Check the competition rules: if the score is level and the regulations specify extra time, the teams play two equal periods of no more than 15 minutes each. A competition that uses a shoot-out directly does not play extra time.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is added time always five minutes?
No. The referee accounts for time lost through substitutions, injuries, time-wasting, disciplinary action, VAR, goal celebrations, and other relevant delays. The fourth official announces a minimum, which can differ from one half or match to another and can increase if another delay occurs.
Does every draw go to extra time?
No. Extra time is used only when the competition or tie regulations require a winner. A points-based league match may finish level. A knockout competition may choose extra time, a shoot-out, or another permitted procedure, so the regulations should be checked.
Is extra time always 30 minutes?
Not necessarily. The basic law describes two equal periods, each no longer than 15 minutes. That makes 15 minutes the maximum for each period, not a guarantee that every competition uses the full 15 minutes twice.
Does extra time start at 90:00?
No. The second half and its added time must be completed first. If the score is still level and the regulations specify extra time, the teams then enter that stage. If the regulations require a shoot-out directly, there is no extra time.
Is a goal at 90+4 an extra-time goal?
No. 90+4 identifies a moment in the added time of the second half. The goal belongs to the scheduled match plus its added time. It becomes an extra-time goal only after extra time has actually started.
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