It’s perfectly normal for a soccer referee to add extra minutes to each half of a soccer game. This period of time is known as stoppage time in soccer.
But why does the referee add this time? What causes it? And how is it announced? Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about stoppage time in soccer.
So, what is stoppage time in soccer?
Stoppage time is added to each half of a soccer game to account for any prolonged periods of time when the ball has not been actively in play.
There are a number of causes of stoppages in soccer, including injuries, timewasting, substitutions, and even weather issues, which we explain in detail in this article.
It’s important not to confuse stoppage time with extra time, as the two terms mean different things, but we explain this toward the end of this piece.
Who decides on the amount of stoppage time in soccer?
As the timekeeper for the match, the referee is responsible for adding stoppage time at the end of the halves. Most referees wear two watches, which enables them to calculate how much time to add.
They leave one of their watches running permanently and stop and start the other one. When the watch that has been running for the entire half reaches 45 minutes, they look to the other watch and deduct the time that is showing to get the stoppage time to add.
So, for instance, if the ball has been in play for 42 of the 45 stipulated minutes, the referee will know to add three minutes on add the end of the half. While this is the precise nature of stoppage time, it’s not always as technical as this.
Some referees just estimate how much stoppage time is required, particularly in amateur soccer. Still, given that goals are often scored in stoppage time, it’s good to know that most referees take the allocation of additional time seriously!
How does stoppage time work?
The referee is the one to decide how much stoppage time to add to each half of a soccer game, and their decision is based on the length of time the game is stopped for. Lots of things can stop a soccer game, including:
Injuries
One of the most common stoppages throughout any soccer game is for injuries. While some players are overly dramatic and fake injuries, others are actually hurt and require treatment on the field.
Typically, the game will be stopped for a minute or so per injury. To keep things moving, the referee usually orders the player to the side of the field to receive further treatment if required instead of delaying the game further.
When the injured player has received treatment, the referee will restart the game and add the time to the end of the half where appropriate.
Timewasting
When a team is winning and protecting a lead toward the end of the game, they often employ timewasting as a tactic. They do this by delaying the restart of play and by taking their time over set plays, substitutions, and other aspects of the game that require time.
Timewasting often frustrates referees, and it can easily backfire. If the referee thinks that your team has been wasting too much time, they are likely to add on several minutes at the end of the half as a result.
If you’re not careful, you could quite easily concede a goal in stoppage time, so you should be careful when you employ timewasting as a tactic!
Substitutions
Another leading cause of stoppage time in soccer is substitutions. The referee is meant to add thirty seconds per substitution, which is why there is often more stoppage time at the end of the second half than the first.
Even when substitutions take longer than thirty seconds, the referee usually caps the stoppage time to thirty seconds and no longer.
After all, given that the number of permitted substitutions has recently increased in many leagues to five, we would see extended periods of stoppage time all around the world.
Weather issues
In some instances, weather issues can lead to stoppages in the match that the referee compensates for at the end of each half.
In fact, drink breaks have been introduced in soccer when matches are played in hot temperatures, and the time is always added to the end of the match.
Although soccer is played in all weathers, it’s not uncommon for torrential rain or a blizzard to disrupt play temporarily, where players return to the locker room until the weather has passed.
As you can see, there are lots of different things that can lead to stoppage time on the soccer field. The referee is responsible for stopping the clock and adding the time to the end of each half to ensure the players get sufficient time to try and win the fixture!
How is stoppage time indicated?
In professional soccer, the referee communicates the amount of stoppage time to be displayed to the fourth official. The fourth official then holds up an electronic board to signify the amount of time to be added to the end of the half.
The stadium announcer will then say the number of minutes to be added on for the benefit of anyone that didn’t notice the board go up.
In amateur soccer, the referee doesn’t signify how much stoppage time is to be added, and it’s up to the players to find out directly. This can lead to issues, as lots of players have no idea how long is left to play!
What’s the difference between stoppage time and injury time?
Stoppage time is also known as “injury” and “added” time. If you hear these terms used, people are referring to the same thing as we’ve discussed throughout.
The reason it is known as injury time is that injuries are one of the most common reasons that the clock is stopped in soccer, so it stoppage time has been colloquially known as such.
Still, it’s correctly known as stoppage time, but you can use the terms interchangeably, and they just mean the same thing.
Is stoppage time the same as extra time?
While stoppage time and injury time refer to the same thing, extra time is a different thing entirely, and it’s important not to confuse the two.
Extra time in soccer is an additional period of thirty minutes that may be played at the end of certain matches where a tie is not a possible outcome.
This is the case in many knockout soccer competitions, such as the World Cup and Copa America, for instance, as ties are not a permitted result in the latter stages of the tournament.
Where extra time is required, the referee will signify the end of normal time (ninety minutes) by blowing the full-time whistle. The referee will have already accounted for additional time before doing this.
Then, the teams will have a five-minute break, contest a coin toss, then kick-off for two halves of fifteen minutes. The idea is that a winner is likely to be determined after the additional period of thirty minutes.
It’s also common for the referee to add stoppage time to extra time, which is where things can get a little confusing if you’re not aware of the terminology!
But a good way to remember it is that stoppage time is added to every half of every game, while extra time is an additional period of play that is only required in knockout matches where a tie is not a permitted final result.
Keen to learn more about how soccer matches are structured? We run through many of the different terms related to the structure of soccer matches in this article.
Recap: What is stoppage time in soccer?
Stoppage time in soccer is added to the end of each half when the referee stops play for whatever reason, be it an injury, weather, or substitution.
It’s important not to confuse stoppage time with extra time, as they are very different terms that refer to completely separate aspects of the game.
So, now you know what stoppage time is and why it’s important – you will no longer be wondering why the referee always adds extra minutes to each half!