As a parent, your involvement with your child’s soccer life extends far beyond actual game playtime. In addition to regular time, you will need to consider how long they need to warm up, how long is halftime, and whether there will be any extra or overtime.
The entire game time will differ depending on your teen’s age and what type of game they’re playing.
This post will look at a breakdown of soccer game length by age and guidelines for game length that you can follow. We’ll look at the minutes of game time for a regular soccer game that your tween or teen will be expected to play. You’ll see that the entire match time can vary by age and whether overtime extensions are implemented.
- How Long Is A High School Soccer Game?
- Length Of A Soccer Game
- Soccer Game Length By Age
- How long are U6 soccer games?
- How long are U8 soccer games?
- How long are U9 soccer games?
- How long are U10 soccer games?
- How long are U11 soccer games?
- How long are U12 soccer games?
- How long are U13 soccer games?
- How long are U14 soccer games?
- How long are U15 soccer games?
- How long are U16 soccer games?
- How long are U17 soccer games?
- How long are U18 soccer games?
- How long are U19 soccer games?
- Related High School Soccer Questions
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How Long Is A High School Soccer Game?
A high school soccer game in the United States lasts 80 minutes, comprising two 40-minute halves plus a ten-minute halftime break. Older players play a 90-minute soccer game, made up of two 45-minute halves plus a 15-minute interval.
Most matches will have some added stoppage time at the end of each half. Referees award stoppage time to compensate for time lost during a half of a soccer game. Depending on how many stoppages occurred, the referee can choose to add on a greater or lesser period of time. This can be anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes of stoppage time.
If the game ends in a tie in a tournament or knock-out game, there are two 10 or 15-minute halves of overtime. There’s usually a 5-minute break before each overtime period starts.
If the game is still tied, the winner will be determined by penalty shootouts. Sometimes coaches and officials can decide to replace overtime with penalties.
So a high school soccer game in the United States can last anywhere from 1h30 to 2 hours if there is overtime.
How Long Is A Middle School Soccer Game?
Middle school soccer games are made up of two 30-35 minute halves, so the total playtime is 60-70 minutes, with a 10-minute break at halftime.
In tournaments or knockout games, if the match ends in a draw after 70 minutes, there’s an overtime period comprising two 10-minute halves, but this can vary depending on the competition rules.
How Long Is A Youth Soccer Game?
The total playtime of a youth soccer league game depends on the various levels. U19, U18, & U17 matches last 90 minutes, U16 & U15 last 80 minutes, U14 & U13 last 70 minutes, U12 & U11 last 60 minutes, U10 & U9 last 50 minutes, and U6 games comprise four 6-minute quarters.
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How Long Is A College Soccer Game?
A college soccer or football game comprises two 45-minute halves, so the playtime is 90 minutes, and there is a halftime break of 15 minutes. Two 15-minute overtime halves are played if the game ends in a tie. A penalty shootout usually decides the winner of a college game if the match ends in a draw after overtime.
How Long Is A Soccer Game In The Olympics?
An Olympics soccer game consists of two 45-minute halves with a 15-minute half-time break.
There is no overtime if teams are still playing in the group stage. However, there is a 30-minute overtime duration (consisting of two 15-minute halves) if the match ends in a tie in the knockout stages.
How Long Is A Professional Soccer Game?
Professional soccer games comprise two 45-minute halves and a 15-minute halftime interval. A few minutes of additional stoppage time (determined by the referee) is added at the end of each half.
If a knockout game ends in a draw, there is 30-minute overtime. Overtime is played in two 15-minute halves, with 5 minutes break between halves.
If there’s no winner after overtime, the game is decided by penalties. Penalties can go on indefinitely but usually last about 10 minutes.
Professional soccer game length can therefore last anywhere from 1h45 to 2h45.
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How Long Is A Soccer Game On TV?
Soccer games on TV typically last about two hours or more. Soccer matches comprise two 45-minute halves and a 15-minute halftime break. If it’s a final or knockout match and it ends in a tie, there is 30-minute overtime.
Soccer matches on TV are usually extended by pre and post-match analysis and interviews, so coverage can last up to three hours.
How Long Is A UEFA soccer game?
UEFA soccer games are 90 minutes long, and they comprise two 45-minute halves and a 15-minute halftime break. The overtime period in professional games, consisting of two 15-minute halves, is introduced in the knockout stages. And if there is no winner after extra time, the winner is determined via penalty kicks.
Length Of A Soccer Game
The length of a soccer game depends on the age of the players or the level of the tournament. The length of a soccer game is made up of different elements that affect the game. Let’s have a look at these below:
Halves: Soccer games are played in quarters for younger players and halves for older teams.
Halftime: Each game will include a halftime resting period.
Stoppage: Extra time is added after each half for any delays caused by injuries or substitutions.
Overtime: During the regular season, a soccer game can end in a tie. Overtime is only played when a winner has to be declared, for example, in tournaments and knockout matches.
Penalty Kicks: If the game still ends in a tie after overtime is played, the game can be won using penalty shootouts.
The length is different in various levels of football. For instance, a professional game is made up of two 45-minutes halves; in U-16 youth leagues, two 40-minute halves are played, while Under-6 matches comprise 6-minute quarters.
To understand the rules of soccer watch the video on how to play soccer below:
Let’s have a look at the length of a soccer game by age in the section below.
Soccer Game Length By Age
| Age | Game Time | Half Time | Stoppage Time | Overtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U6 | 24 min (4 x 6 min quarters) | 5 min | None | None |
| U8 | 48 min (4 x 12 min quarters) | 5 min | None | None |
| U9 | 50 min (2 x 25 min halves) | 5 min | None | None |
| U10 | 50 min (2 x 25 min halves) | 5 min | None | None |
| U11 | 60 min (2 x 30 min halves) | 5 min | Yes | 20 minutes (2 x 10 min halves) |
| U12 | 60 min (2 x 30 min halves) | 5 min | Yes | 20 minutes (2 x 10 min halves) |
| U13 | 70 min (2 x 35 min halves) | 10 min | Yes | 20 minutes (2 x 10 min halves) |
| U14 | 70 min (2 x 35 min halves) | 10 min | Yes | 20 minutes (2 x 10 min halves) |
| U15 | 80 min (2 x 40 min halves) | 10 min | Yes | 30 minutes (2 x 15 min halves) |
| U16 | 80 min (2 x 40 min halves) | 10 min | Yes | 30 minutes (2 x 15 min halves) |
| U17 | 90 min (2 x 45 min halves) | 15 min | Yes | 30 minutes (2 x 15 min halves) |
| U18 | 90 min (2 x 45 min halves) | 15 min | Yes | 30 minutes (2 x 15 min halves) |
| U19 | 90 min (2 x 45 min halves) | 15 min | Yes | 30 minutes (2 x 15 min halves) |
How long are U6 soccer games?
U6 soccer games can take around 30 minutes in total. Youth Under-6 soccer games consist of four 6-minute quarters. The game includes 5-minute halftime. Coaches can make unlimited subs, and there’s no additional stoppage time.
How long are U8 soccer games?
Under-8 youth soccer games can take around 50 minutes, comprising of four 12-minute quarters, and a 5-minute interval. There is no added time, and subs are unlimited.
How long are U9 soccer games?
Under-9 soccer games are played in two 25-minute halves. There is a 5-minute half-time interval. Total game time is therefore just under one hour. Coaches can make unlimited subs, and there is no extra time.
How long are U10 soccer games?
Under-10 games consist of two 25-minute halves with unlimited substitutions. The game includes 5-minute halftime. Total game time is usually just under one hour.
How long are U11 soccer games?
Under-11 soccer games comprise two 30-minute halves. During halftime, there is a 5-minute or 10-minute break. If the game ends in a tie, there are 20 minutes of overtime.
How long are U12 soccer games?
Under-12 soccer games comprise two 30-minute halves, plus any added injury time. They can have a 5-minute or 10-minute break. Extra time of 20 minutes can sometimes be added if the game ends in a tie in a tournament game if a winner has to be declared.
How long are U13 soccer games?
Under-13 soccer games are played in two 35-minute halves. There is a 10-minute halftime break.
There is no overtime in most league games, but in the event of a tie in tournaments, two 10-minute overtime halves can be played. During the overtime periods, the sudden-victory rule will be applied, which means the first team to score wins the game.
How long are U14 soccer games?
Under-14 games comprise two 35-minute halves, plus any injury time. There is a 10-minute halftime break.
When needed, 20-minute overtime can be added to decide the winner. When the score remains tied at the end of the second overtime half, the soccer game will be recorded as a tie.
How long are U15 soccer games?
U-15 soccer games consist of 40-minute halves plus a 10-minute halftime break.
A 30-minute overtime period can be played in tournaments.
How long are U16 soccer games?
Under-16 soccer games comprise 40-minute halves, with a 10-minute break, plus any injury time added after the match.
If the game ends in a tie and a winner has to be declared, two 15-minute overtime periods can be added. However, this is not often used in youth soccer leagues.
How long are U17 soccer games?
U-17 soccer games consist of 45-minute halves, plus a 15-minute break and any additional stoppage time. 30-minute extra time may be added as two 15-minute halves if a winner has to be declared.
How long are U18 soccer games?
U-18 soccer games comprise two 45-minute halves, with a 15-minute halftime break. There is a two 15-minute overtime when needed.
How long are U19 soccer games?
U-19 soccer games are played in two 45-minute halves, with a 15-minute interval and extra time of 30 minutes in knockout rounds.
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Related High School Soccer Questions
What is stoppage time in soccer?
Stoppage time, also known as injury or added time, is the time added at the end of each half of a soccer game. Referees usually add time at the end of each half because they had to pause the game due to injuries, substitutions, or other issues that cause delays in games.
In professional and most youth leagues, the average stoppage time is usually anywhere between 2-5 minutes. However, it’s entirely up to the referee’s discretion as to what they believe the stoppage time should be. The referee is responsible for recording actual stoppage time on his own watch. This additional time is not shown on the official game clock and will only be added at the end of each half.
This is different from how other school games like basketball or football work; however, it works well in soccer.
Why don’t they stop the clock in soccer?
In soccer, the match clock continues to run through stoppages of play and only pauses at halftime once 45 minutes are on the clock.
There are no clock stoppages in soccer because many clock stoppages would ruin the game’s pace. The leading time can also try to waste time, also known as running out the clock, to preserve their lead.
Therefore, play is restarted quickly when there’s a minor foul. If there are significant delays because of injuries, stoppage time is added when halves end. This is totally up to the referee, meaning that players do not know how much time is left and can therefore not use it to their advantage.
How long are high school soccer halves?
High school soccer halves are 40-minutes long for U16 and below and 45-minutes long for U17 and above. Between each half, teams have a 10 or 15-minute halftime break. The halftime period provides players with the much-needed rest and allows the coaches to restrategize for the last half of the high school soccer match.
How long is a high school soccer game halftime?
Halftime is typically ten minutes in a high school soccer game and comes after the first 40-minute half. Halftime allows teams to recover as they prepare for the second half of the game. Teams can change strategy and make substitutions during the halftime break.
How long is a soccer game for 13 year olds?
In the Under-13 leagues, soccer games are played in two 35-minute halves, so the total playtime is 70 minutes, plus any stoppage time added when the game ends.
In some football matches, an overtime period consisting of two 10-minute halves could be added, but there is no overtime in most U-13 friendly games.
How long is a high school soccer game overtime?
A high school soccer game overtime comprises two 10-minute halves for U14 and below and two 15-minute halves for U15 and above. Overtime typically comes after a match ends in a tie after regular game time.
When there is no winner when the overtime period ends, teams sometimes participate in a penalty shootout.
Overtime is usually only used during tournaments and not in high school soccer games during the regular season.
Soccer rules also vary from state to state, like in Ohio and Colorado, they play what is called ‘sudden death.’ This means that the first team to score a goal during overtime wins the game, and the remaining overtime is not played.
Why do soccer games go over 90 minutes?
Soccer games typically go over 90 minutes due to any stoppage time added caused by injuries or substitutions that result in delays during the game.
Additionally, soccer games will go into overtime in tournaments and during the knockout phases of competitions.
In professional soccer, the overtime period is 30 minutes, while in high school football, it is 20 minutes. If there is still no winner after the overtime period, the winner is determined through penalties.
I hope you’ve found all the answers you’re looking for regarding how long a high school soccer game or football match will take. Although most teens play a 90-minute game, you need to keep in mind the guidelines on match length, including halftime, injury time, and possible halves for overtime.
