Soccer is a game of legends. In the United States, people like to play and watch soccer games with family and friends. But how long does a professional soccer game last? If you are a person who is looking for an answer to this question, then you are at the right website.
You probably have noticed that during a soccer match, the counter goes downward instead of upward, like in NHL and NFL games. So this is the difference between soccer and a football game.
How Long Does a Professional Soccer Game Last?
A professional soccer game lasts for 90 minutes. The match consists of two phases, and each phase has a 45-minute duration. There is a fifteen minutes break between both halves.
However, in the early days, soccer match was played all day long until sunset. There was no exact time duration for the soccer matches, so teams had to play until sunset.
But in 1986, the new time duration declared for the game was a 90-minutes game duration. Since then, it has been a rule to play this game for 90 minutes.
What Factors can Delay the Soccer Game Duration?
Although the game consists of 90 minutes duration yet, some factors can delay the match timing. So let’s have a look at those factors.
- Time wasting due to team players who are leading the game
- Injuries are another reason that extends the game timing
- Celebrating the goals
- If the referee does a VAR check-up
- Drink breaks are also a factor
Can a Professional Soccer Game End in a Tie?
Yes, a professional soccer game can end with a tie. A tied match is “both teams have the same score and the total time of the game has completed.” So how would they deal with these scenarios? Well, there are some rules that they need to follow.
Overtime is the way to deal with a tie match. But if the match remains tied even after overtime, then a penalty shot is the final solution to decide the winner.
Usually, all teams get league points during the World Cup session when playing the World Cup. So if a tie match occurs, then the winner will be decided through most league points they have.
How Long Does a Soccer Game Last in High School?
High school and college soccer games also last for 90 minutes. There are two halves of 45-minutes and a 15 minutes break.
Moreover, a high school soccer game can also tie. But in high school soccer, there is a golden goal rule to deal with tie matches. The rule is simple “ if both teams do not do any goal between 90 minutes of total game time, then the match will be declared as a tie. However, if both teams have goals the same amount of goals they will get overtime to deice the final winner.”
How Long Does it Take to Watch Soccer Match?
If you are watching a soccer match, then it could take two hours. The whole game consists of 90 minutes match and 15 minutes break. But with other factors like fouls, goal celebrations, and the football going into the audience, the time duration can increase to two hours.
Soccer Game Length by Age
Below is the table of soccer game length by age.
| Age | Match Timing |
| Under 6 | Four quarters of 6 minutes |
| Under 8 | Four rounds of 12 minutes |
| Under 10 | Two halves of 25-minutes |
| Under11&12 | Two halves of 30-minutes (Added Time: Two halves of 10-minutes) |
| Under 13&14 | Two halves of 35-minutes (Added Time: Two halves of 10-minutes) |
| Under 15&16 | Two halves of 45-minutes (Added Time: Two halves of 15-minutes) |
| Under 17/18/19 | Two halves of 45 minutes (Added Time: Two halves of 15-minutes) |
What is Extra Time Period in Soccer and How It Works?
There is a possibility that a soccer match ends with a tie. But what about when there is a world cup match, and it ends with a tie? This is not fair to leave the match tie, and no one wins, right? So how will the referee deal with this situation? Well, there is a way to solve this problem, and it is called extra time or added time.
An extra time is a term or rule when both teams end up with a tie match, and no one is declared a winner. So an extra 30 minutes will allow to teams to play the match again and try to do a goal to win the match. However, if a team does a goal before the 30 minutes end up, the match will not stop until the 30 minutes pass.
If, after the extra time, it is still a tie match, then the match winner will be decided through the five best shootouts against the opponent’s goalkeeper.
Why Does Soccer Match Exceed from 90-Minutes Timing?
Usually, a soccer game ends in 90 minutes, but due to some other things like injury or goal celebrations, the time of the match can increase from the 90 minutes duration.
The Match referee adds extra time to both halves, and thus game duration exceeds.
How Long is a Professional Soccer Field Area?
A professional soccer field consists of 100-130 yards. The governing body, The International Football Association Board (IFAB), decides the field area. According to IFAB, the field area should be marked with lines and must be rectangular in shape.
Conclusion
So you can know to remember that a professional soccer game lasts for 90 minutes with 15 minutes break. This article is for educational purposes only, and all the information written in this article is backed by a reference below.
If you have any queries, then ask me in the comments.
References
- https://www.bundesliga.com/en/faq/all-you-need-to-know-about-soccer/all-you-need-to-know-about-a-soccer-field-10572
- https://thestadiumreviews.com/blogs/info/how-long-is-a-soccer-game/#:~:text=A%20professional%20men’s%20and%20women’s,periods%20that%20lasts%20fifteen%20minutes.
- https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/24/sports/worldcup/stoppage-time-in-the-world-cup-underscores-soccers-strange-rules.html