KickVerse
All football guides

Match rules guide

Extra Time vs Penalty Shoot-outs.

Both can decide a level knockout tie, but they are different procedures with different records, substitutions and match consequences.

9 min readBy

Why a knockout match needs another method

League matches can finish level because both teams receive a point. A knockout tie usually needs one team to advance. Competition rules therefore specify an approved procedure: away-goals rules where applicable, extra time, kicks from the penalty mark, or a permitted combination.

The exact sequence belongs to the competition regulations. It should never be assumed merely because another tournament uses the same type of fixture.

What extra time is

Extra time is more football. When used, it consists of two equal periods that normally last no more than 15 minutes each. Players remain in open play, tactical substitutions matter, cautions continue to apply and goals count in the match score.

There is a short interval before extra time and a brief changeover between its two periods. Each period can also receive added time for delays. There is no golden-goal ending under the ordinary current Laws: scoring in the first period does not immediately finish the match.

What a penalty shoot-out is

A shoot-out is formally called kicks from the penalty mark. It takes place after the match has finished level under the competition’s procedure. Each team initially takes five kicks, alternating between teams. If one team becomes uncatchable before all ten kicks, the sequence ends early. If the teams remain level after five each, they continue one kick per team until one scores and the other misses in the same round.

Extra timeShoot-out
Open play continuesAlternating penalty kicks
Goals count in the match scoreKicks decide the winner but are not added as ordinary match goals
Normally two periods of up to 15 minutesFive kicks each, then sudden-death rounds if required
Tactics and permitted substitutions continueOnly eligible players participate under the shoot-out procedure

Who is allowed to take a kick?

With limited exceptions in the Laws, the players on the field at the end of the match are the eligible participants. If one team has more players than the other, it must reduce its number to match. This prevents the team with more remaining players from gaining an extra rotation before a player has to kick again.

Every eligible player must take a kick before the same player can take a second. The order does not have to be given to the referee in advance, allowing teams to adjust as the sequence develops.

The goalkeeper’s role

The defending goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, facing the kicker and between the posts, until the ball is kicked, subject to the precise positioning requirements in Law 14. The goalkeeper can also take a kick if eligible. Replacement during the shoot-out is restricted and depends on injury, available substitutions and the Laws.

How the result is recorded

A goal scored in extra time is part of the match score. A successful kick in the shoot-out is part of the shoot-out tally, not another ordinary goal for the player or team. That is why a result may be shown as 1–1 after extra time, with one team winning 4–3 on penalties.

For statistics, it is useful to separate regulation time, extra time and the shoot-out rather than combining everything into one scoreline.

Typical sequence in a knockout match

  1. Regulation time ends with the teams level.
  2. If the competition requires it, two periods of extra time are played.
  3. If the teams are still level, a shoot-out decides who advances.
  4. The official result preserves the match score and states the shoot-out winner separately.

Sources and further reading

This guide follows IFAB Law 10 and Law 7. Always check the relevant competition regulations for the procedure used in a particular round.

Related: Why added time is given