What is stoppage time in soccer?

Stoppage time is added minutes at the end of each half to make up for time when the ball wasn't in play. The referee tracks how much was lost; the fourth official holds up a board showing the minimum to be added.

The 30-second version

A soccer match is 2 × 45 minutes. The clock never stops during play — even when the ball is out, players are injured, or a goal is being celebrated. To make up for time lost, the referee adds stoppage time to the end of each half. It's also called "added time" or "injury time."

What gets added

The referee accounts for:

• Goal celebrations — typically about 30 seconds per goal
• Substitutions — about 30 seconds each
• Injuries — full duration of the stoppage
• VAR reviews — full duration of the review and re-take
• Wasted time — players standing over a free kick, slow throw-ins, faking injuries
• Cautions and red cards — the time spent showing cards and arguing

In a modern match with multiple subs, a couple of injuries, and one VAR check, you can easily reach 6–8 minutes added. With a controversial goal review, double figures.

How the board works

Near the end of each half, the fourth official walks to the touchline and holds up an electronic board with a number on it — usually 4, 5, 6 minutes. That's the minimum. The match can finish a little after that if play is ongoing and hasn't been stopped.

The referee can also extend stoppage time during stoppage time itself — if a player goes down injured in the 92nd minute, the half won't end until that's resolved.

A simple example

Match clock reads 45:00 at the end of the first half. The referee mentally added:

• One goal celebration (30s)
• One booking and argument (45s)
• One substitution (30s)

Stoppage time displayed: 2 minutes. Whistle blows around 47:00.

Now do the second half. Three subs, two yellow cards, a long VAR check that disallows a goal, two injury stoppages.

Stoppage time displayed: 8 minutes. Whistle blows somewhere between 98:00 and 99:00.

Why it can be 10+ minutes now

Before 2022, referees were generous about waving away time and stoppage time was usually 3–4 minutes. After the 2022 World Cup, FIFA pushed referees to account more accurately for time lost. Stoppage times of 8–12 minutes are now normal in tournaments and many leagues have followed.

The change was deliberate: it discourages teams from time-wasting because the time always gets added back.

Common confusion

• "The clock said 90, why is the game still going?" — Because the referee added stoppage time. The TV clock runs straight through.
• "He showed 6 minutes, but the whistle came at 8." — The board shows the minimum. Anything that happens during stoppage time can extend it.
• "They scored after the whistle should have gone." — The referee decides exactly when full time is. As long as play is ongoing inside the added time, the half continues.

What fans usually get wrong

• Stoppage time is added to both halves, not just the second.
• A goal scored deep into stoppage time still counts. The match doesn't end until the referee blows the whistle.
• The fourth official does not pick the number. The referee on the field tells them.

Official rule basis

Stoppage time is governed by Law 7 of the IFAB Laws of the Game. The law states the referee makes "allowance in either period for all time lost" and the amount displayed is a minimum. FIFA's 2022 timekeeping guidance directs referees to be more precise about what counts.