How Long Is A Soccer Game

                                                   

You're watching a soccer game and it's 90-minutes yet the referee is reluctant to blow the final whistle, you're like: How long is a soccer game? or at exactly 45-minutes the referee didn't blow the half time whistle instead about 2 or 3-minutes more were added to the game. 

There is no cause for alarm as I'll teach all you need to know about a soccer game duration and why the referee doesn't always end the game immediately.
How Long Is A Soccer Game

Here's a list of what we are about to learn in this Article.
      * How long is a soccer game?
      * What is stoppage time in soccer?
      * Reasons for stoppage time in soccer?
      * stoppage time attack
      * Soccer extra time
      * Penalty shootouts
         
How long is a soccer game?

Well, a professional soccer game lasts for 90-minutes(1 hour 50-minutes if the 20-minutes break between both halves is considered) on average but there are so many factors that come into consideration during a soccer game that could actually determine just how long a soccer game will last.
Unlike every other sport, soccer is very unique especially with its timing as the referee is allowed to add stoppage time.

The power to end a particular soccer game totally depends on the referee, but a soccer game will never be played for lesser than 90-minutes unless either one of the two sides receives a total of 7 consecutive red cards in a single match. 

When such happens the referee has no choice but to end the game and pronounce the opposition team as the winner of the match. 

What is stoppage time in soccer?

A soccer referee can decide to add some more time to the game after the first 45-minutes of play or at after 90mins, this time is usually called "stoppage time" in soccer.


Reasons for stoppage time in soccer?

There are several reasons for stoppage time in soccer which ranges from- substitutions, fouls, injuries, players intentionally wasting time, pitch Invaders and VAR. There are an extra 30-seconds of stoppage time added for each of the factors mentioned above which is mandatory. Although the amount of added time is totally at the discretion of the referee, the 30-seconds rule must be taken into consideration.

Stoppage time attack

Another factor is if a team is under an attack from the opposition before 90-minutes even after 90-minutes the game continues until the ball is out of play. This also applies when the referee adds 5-minutes of stoppage time, yet a team is under attack at 94-minutes and are still under attack even after 95-minutes. Such a game will continue until the attacking team is dispossessed of the ball. Once they are dispossessed of the ball, the referee blows the final whistle.

Another factor that could affect just how long a soccer game is played is if after 90-minutes of gameplay there is a tie, although this depends on the kind of competition that's being played. An ordinary football fixture will not go into Extra time, although at knock out stages they must proceed into Extra time in order for a winner to be chosen and proceed into the next Round.

Soccer extra time

Extra time is another set of halves in a soccer game that is played after a 90-minutes tie in order to determine the winner of the football match.

Extra time could determine just how long a soccer game is played.
The extra time also comes in two halves, the first half of Extra time and the second half of Extra time.
Each half of Extra time extends the game by 15-minutes for each half, if at the end of both halves of Extra time there is yet to be a winner, the game further proceeds into penalty shootouts. But If a winner emerges after the second half of Extra time, there would be no need to proceed to penalty shootouts.

Penalty shoot outs

Penalty shootouts are the most delicate and most important parts of any soccer game.
The shootout begins immediately after the second half of Extra time.
Although not every soccer game will end in penalty shootouts when it does come to penalty shootouts, there is total silence on the pitch.... from the footballers to the goalkeepers' everybody is tensed, everybody wants to win and nobody wants to lose which is not possible.
Most penalty shootouts come with mixed feelings, feeling of triumph and disappointment. That's it's the most delicate part of every football game any mistake you make could cost you the whole game.

Here is a short summary video on this topic.


                                  


I hope by reading this article we've been able to extensively remove every doubt you might have had about how long a soccer game really is.
Thank you for your time, we won't be writing articles without an audience to read them.

If you have any questions or contributions on how long a soccer game is played, please do leave us a comment below, I'll surely do my best to reply to each and every comment.


Thanks again, I'll see you in the next article

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