Extra time and penalty shootouts explained

In a knockout match someone has to go through — so when the score is level after 90 minutes, football has two tie-breakers waiting. Here's how they work.

Step one: extra time

If a knockout tie is level at full time, the game goes to extra time: two halves of 15 minutes each, so 30 extra minutes in total. Both halves are always played in full — there is no golden goal in modern football, so a goal does not end the game early.

Teams typically get an extra substitution to use in this period. If a team is ahead when extra time ends, they win. If it's still level, it comes down to penalties.

Step two: the penalty shootout

The shootout is football's ultimate test of nerve:

1. The referee picks the goal to be used; a coin toss decides which team shoots first.

2. Teams take five penalties each, alternating.

3. Whoever scores more from their five wins.

A shootout can end early: if one team goes far enough ahead that the other can't catch up even with their remaining kicks, it stops there.

Sudden death

If the score is still level after five penalties each, the shootout moves to sudden death — one kick each, pair by pair. As soon as one team scores and the other misses in the same round, it's over. Every outfield player (and the goalkeeper) must take a kick before anyone can go again.

Why it's so dramatic

A penalty is scored far more often than not, so the pressure is brutal: a miss is rarely "unlucky," it's remembered. Shootouts have decided World Cup finals and broken hearts across every competition — which is exactly why they're unmissable.

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FAQ

Do all knockout matches go to extra time?

No — it depends on the competition's rules. Most major tournaments use 30 minutes of extra time before penalties, but some competitions and one-off matches skip straight to a shootout after 90 minutes, and early rounds of certain domestic cups can use replays instead.

Who is allowed to take a penalty in a shootout?

Only players who are on the pitch when the final whistle blows (including the goalkeeper) may take part. Every eligible player must take one kick before anyone can shoot a second time, and a team reduced to fewer players must drop opponents' takers to match numbers.

Do shootout goals count in a player's goal tally?

No. A penalty shootout is a tie-breaking procedure, not part of the match, so its kicks don't count as goals in official statistics. The game itself is recorded as a draw, with the shootout result noted separately to decide who advances.

What was the golden goal rule?

Golden goal meant the first team to score in extra time won instantly; a softer variant, the silver goal, ended the tie at the break of extra time if one side led. Both were scrapped by the mid-2000s because they made teams more cautious, and today extra time is always played in full.

Can a goalkeeper be substituted before a penalty shootout?

Yes, provided the team still has a substitution available — some coaches send on a specialist "shootout keeper" in the last minute of extra time. During the shootout itself, a goalkeeper can only be replaced if they are injured and the team has a substitution remaining.