How does extra time work in the World Cup knockout stage?

As the 2022 World Cup in Qatar advances to the elimination stages, fans are wondering how extra time will work moving forward.

Extra time at the World Cup is a topic seasoned soccer (or… football) fans and casuals alike may be unaware of because the rules differ slightly due to the World Cup being played at a neutral venue.

It’s almost as convoluted as figuring out how the seedings and matchups for the knockout stages are determined.

An important distinction needs to be made between “added” time and “extra” time before we begin.

Added time refers to time that referees add at their discretion to account for stoppages in play. Since, in soccer, the clocks do not stop for injuries and other causes in play stoppage, this is made up for at the end of the half.

Extra time is what it sounds like: Extra time on top of the “regulated” 90 minutes of play. It is not to make up for stoppages within those 90 minutes, but rather, an extension of those 90 minutes.

Got it? Good, you’re ready to jump in and find out what the deal is with extra time in the knockout stages of the World Cup and what happens if there is still a tie after any extra time.

Is there still added time in World Cup knockout stage?

Yes, added time for play stoppage is still done as normal.

How extra time works in World Cup knockout stage

Extra time is played if the a match in the knockout stages is tied after the end of normal playing time (90 minutes plus added time). According to FIFA’s regulations, this consists of, “two 15-minute periods, with an interval not exceeding five minutes before the first period of extra time begins and a short drinks break (interval) not exceeding one minute at half-time.”

Is there added time to knockout stage extra time?

Yes, added time can be added to the two halves of extra time, though it typically is in much smaller amounts since the periods themselves are short.

What if teams are still tied after extra time?

If the score is still tied after the two halves of extra time, the game goes into a shootout, with kicks from the penalty mark.

That procedure follows the shootout format as described in FIFA’s Laws of the Game, which stipulates that teams take five kicks apiece alternated between teams to score goals.

The rules also stipulate that, “If, after both teams have taken five kicks, both have scored the same number of goals, or have not scored any goals, kicks continue to be taken in the same order until one team has scored a goal more than the other from the same number of kicks.”

Other misc. rules:

• The referee chooses which goal the kicks are taken at
• Each kick is taken by a different player and no player can kick twice until all eligible players have kicked
• All players stand on the field of play in the center circle, but no officials or coaches are allowed on the field of play
• The goalkeeper of the kicker’s team stands just outside the penalty area of the goal where the kicks are being taken

Got it? Good… Now sit back and enjoy the glory of the knockout round. Here’s hoping we get some extra time for added excitement.