Extra Time & Shootout Rules

Extra time consists of two 15-minute periods, played in full regardless of whether a goal is scored. Teams switch ends at the interval, and there is a short (typically five-minute) break before extra time begins and a brief changeover period at the halfway point. Each team is permitted one additional substitution during extra time (in tournaments and competitions that allow five substitutions in 90 minutes, this means a total of six substitutions are available). The team leading after 30 minutes of extra time wins; if still level, the match proceeds to a penalty shootout.

Between 1993 and 2004, FIFA and UEFA experimented with the "golden goal" — a sudden-death rule where the first team to score in extra time immediately won the match. The most famous golden goal was Laurent Blanc's strike for France against Paraguay in the 1998 World Cup. In 2002–04, the "silver goal" variant was briefly used: if a team led at the half-time interval of extra time, they won. Both experiments were abandoned after criticism that teams became extremely cautious, prioritising defensive solidity over attacking risk-taking.

If the match is still level after extra time, a penalty shootout determines the winner. Each team selects five takers from the players on the pitch at the final whistle — players who were substituted off cannot participate. Kicks alternate between teams. If the scores are still level after five kicks each, the shootout enters sudden death, where each team takes one kick alternately until one team scores and the other misses. Goalkeepers must remain on their line but may move sideways. Since 2019, the "ABBA" format has been trialled in some competitions to reduce the psychological disadvantage of going second.

Shootouts are won and lost in the weeks before the match. England's notorious shootout record — losing seven of their first eight major tournament shootouts — was directly addressed by Gareth Southgate before the 2018 World Cup. His preparation included dedicated training sessions simulating shootout conditions, sports psychology support, and individual analysis of opposing goalkeepers. England won their first World Cup shootout in 22 years against Colombia in 2018, then beat Switzerland and Netherlands in Euro 2024 shootouts. Germany, historically one of the most reliable shootout teams, practice set routines that prioritise composure over power.