Most people are familiar with professional soccer games that last ninety minutes and have some overtime and penalties in tournament matches. But what about high school matches? Do these follow the same format, or are there any notable differences? Read on to find out.
How Long is a Professional Soccer Game?
Professional soccer is played on a rectangular field marked with continuous white lines; this pitch measures 50-100 yards in width and 100-130 yards in length. The game is played between two teams made up of eleven players and lasts for an average of ninety minutes.
Although the typical length of a soccer match is ninety minutes, this can change. If players are injured or time is wasted, the referee can add up sometime in the end. This injury time is usually between five and ten minutes. The half-time interval is normally around fifteen minutes long.
How Long is a High School Soccer Game?
Surprisingly, high school soccer games use the same format. According to the National College Athletes Association (NCAA) Football Rules Book, a high school soccer match should also take place on this size of the field, include the same number of players, and last 90 minutes.
Although there are many similarities between professional and high school soccer formats, there are also some differences. These normally come at the end of a match in the case of a tie. Two ten minutes periods are played with the first team to score the winner.
What is the Difference Between Game Time?
There is little difference between the game time when you compare high school soccer to professional soccer. However, high school matches play two forty-minute halves - a total of 80 minutes game time - with a half-time break of ten minutes.
In standard league matches, the game can end when the referee blows their whistle following injury time, but that is not the case in tournament matches where a winner must be declared. This is achieved through additional time and penalties. High school matches end when the next goal is scored.
Overtime and Other Differences
If the match is tied after eighty minutes, overtime is declared. Overtime is only played if the game requires a winner; otherwise, it can simply end. If overtime is played, it will last for ten minutes each half; if no one scores during this period, the match moves to penalties.
In most cases, a match will end when the eighty minutes is up; itâs only when a winner needs to be declared that the match goes to overtime. However, during tournaments, there may be no need to play extra-time in its entirely, and the first team to score will win the match.
Conclusion
Unlike professional football matches, high school matches are shorter and have some differences in the way a game is concluded following the allotted time. High school matches last for eighty minutes rather than ninety and have a winning goal rule in extra time during tournament football. Professional football no longer has a winning goal rule.
