World Cup Extra Time and Penalty Shootout Rules

If a World Cup knockout match is tied after 90 minutes, teams play 30 minutes of extra time, split into two 15-minute halves. If still level, a penalty shootout decides the winner. There is no golden goal — extra time is always played in full. Goalkeepers must stay on their line at the moment of the kick, and at least one foot must be touching the line.

How does World Cup extra time work?

Extra time is two 15-minute halves played back-to-back, with a brief water break and end change between them. Both halves are played in full regardless of the score — the golden goal rule that ended games on the first goal was abolished by IFAB in 2004.

Substitution rules in extra time:

• Teams that have used all 5 regular substitutions in 90 minutes get one additional substitution in extra time (a 6th sub).
• That bonus sub can be made at any point during extra time, including at the start.
• Concussion substitutes do not count against this limit.

If the goalkeeper is injured or sent off in extra time, a substitute may come in to replace them — same as in regulation time.

What happens if extra time is still tied?

Penalty shootout. Format:

• 5 kicks per team, alternating ABABAB.
• All players on the pitch at the end of extra time are eligible.
• Players take kicks in any order chosen by the team.
• After each pair of kicks, if it's mathematically impossible for the trailing team to catch up, the shootout ends early.

If the score is level after 5 kicks each, the shootout goes to sudden death: one kick per team, alternating, until one team scores and the other misses in the same round. There is no kick limit — sudden death can run through every player on the pitch and back to the original takers.

The World Cup uses alternating ABAB format, not the ABBA format trialed at some UEFA tournaments. Each team kicks separately, in turn.

What are the goalkeeper rules during a shootout?

The goalkeeper must:

• Have at least one foot touching, in line with, or behind the goal line at the moment the kick is struck.
• Stay between the goalposts (cannot move off the line laterally before the kick).
• Not touch the goalposts, crossbar, or net to distract the kicker.

If the keeper saves the kick but commits an offense (e.g. coming off the line early), VAR can review and the kick is retaken. See /rules/goalkeeper-penalty-encroachment for details. For attacker encroachment rules, see /rules/penalty-encroachment.

Can a player be sent off during a shootout?

Yes — but rare. A player can be cautioned or sent off for unsporting behavior or violent conduct during the shootout. If a player is sent off, the team continues with one fewer eligible kicker but the team count for the shootout doesn't change.

ABBA vs ABAB at the World Cup

Some competitions experimented with ABBA shootouts (one team takes two kicks, then the other takes two) to reduce the advantage of going first. The World Cup has stuck with the traditional ABAB alternating format — proven, widely understood, and used in every World Cup shootout since the format was introduced in 1978.

For more on the kick mechanics and how each kick is taken, see /rules/penalty-shootout. For the broader extra time rules in football, see /rules/extra-time. And for the full knockout-round structure, see /world-cup/knockout.