How Long Is A Soccer Game? 

How Long Is A Soccer Game_

Soccer Matches are vastly different from that of Football and Basketball matches. Here the referee has full discretionary power to extend the total time of the match if it needs to be. In this article, I will be discussing in detail the total length of soccer matches of different leagues and more. 

Keep reading till the end to find out more information about “how long is a soccer game”!

Soccer Games Are Of Different Lengths

Soccer Games Are Of Different Lengths

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There’s no set answer to “How long is a soccer game”. This is so because the US Soccer associations are known to organize leagues for players as young as six years old. Hence, the lengths of the games are vastly different. The length of the game always varies to fit the variety of skill levels/ages of the players. 

For instance, a team consisting of six-year-olds is not going to be able to run for 90 minutes. If you have ever witnessed a youth soccer game then you would know. 

Duration Of A Youth Soccer Game

Duration Of A Youth Soccer Game

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The times of Youth Soccer Games vary a lot as I mentioned in the earlier section of the article as well. Generally in a Youth League, the soccer matches are conducted between the time range of 30 – 60 mins, with a break/half-time. 

The vast eye-striking change in the time range is the one between U6 & U8 matches – where the time doubles up for the latter. 

Halftime In Matches

From the U15 and up to more professional leagues, the teams have a total of 15 minutes for Halftime. For the U10 – U14 leagues, they have halftime of ten minutes. The U6 – U8 matches generally have a halftime of 10 minutes in total as well. 

Moreover, the duration of the halftime also varies and depends on the discretion of the referee as well. 

Game Lengths

To answer your query about “how long is a soccer game” I will be mentioning the match times of a few of the different levels of league matches. Here is a list of the varying time lengths of some of the youth soccer league matches:

U6

The total duration of the U6 league games is 24 minutes. This league of soccer game is all about the kids having a bit of fun and learning the fundamentals of the game. 

U8

The total duration of the U8 league games is 48 minutes. The quarters of this league of soccer matches are twice as long as the U6 leagues. This comparison just shows how vastly different both of the matches are. 

U10

The total duration of the U10 league games is 50 minutes. This is the last of the youth league which still does not have an overtime play. Even then, the game is almost identical to the U8 league.

Keep reading a bit further to find out information on how long is a soccer game world cup!

U11-U12

The total duration of the U11-12 league games is 60 minutes. Both of the U11/U12 games have the option of overtime. Due to this, the game time increases by a total of 10 minutes.

U13-U14

The total duration of the U13-14 league games is 70 minutes. Both the U13/U14 games of soccer have an additional time of ten minutes which brings in the full time to a total of seventy minutes. 

U15-U16

The total duration of the U15-16 league games is 80 minutes. From this league of matches, you get to see an increase in both the overtime periods and regulation time as well. 

U17-U19

The total duration of the U17-19 league games is 90 minutes. After the players reach these levels, they play at the same game length as both professional and collegiate teams.

Tip: How long is a professional soccer game conducted? They are held for a total time of 90 minutes (45-45) with a halftime in between. 

Duration Of A World Cup Soccer Game

This is according to the rules of the soccer game as set by the IFAB (International Football Association Board) – the total duration of a standard match of soccer is 90 minutes. This is further divided into 2 equal halves. 

There are 45 minutes of continuous gameplay with a halftime in between. The halftime is such that it does not take place for more than fifteen minutes. 

Duration Of High School Soccer Matches

The matches conducted in high schools do not fall under the US Soccer Federation. They follow the rules that are passed by NFHS.

They allow for each state to determine its match length. The majority of the states opt for forty-minute halves. 

Is There Any Overtime In Soccer Matches?

If you are wondering about “how long is a World Cup soccer game” then let me tell you!

In the regular games of soccer, outside of the World Cup/Olympics, the soccer matches generally do not go into overtime. If the result of any particular match is a tie – then it ends in just that. Just like many other sports out there, soccer matches also do not tend to allow for any matches to end in a tie as there are a lot of systems of ranking for determining that.

To Wrap It Up!

As you can see, there are no such ‘fixed-timing-for-all’ matches that take place in the game of soccer. The more professional the matches are, the longer the match timing is going to be.

Thank you for reading this particular article up till here. I hope you found the information regarding “how long is a soccer game” useful.

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