In football, how long is a standard match excluding stoppage time?
VerifiedAnswer: 90 minutes
Explanation:
A standard football match lasts for 90 minutes of regular playing time. This duration has been the official standard for professional football matches worldwide for many decades and is governed by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), the sport's global governing body.
The 90-minute duration is divided into two halves of 45 minutes each. Between these two halves, there is a mandatory break called half-time, which typically lasts for 15 minutes. During this interval, players rest, receive tactical instructions from their coaches, and prepare for the second half of the match.
It's important to understand that this 90-minute timeframe refers specifically to the regular playing time and does not include stoppage time (also known as injury time or added time). Stoppage time is additional minutes that the referee adds at the end of each half to compensate for time lost during play due to substitutions, injuries, goal celebrations, or other delays that occurred during that half.
The referee has complete discretion in determining how much stoppage time to add, and this decision is based on their assessment of how much playing time was lost during each half. Typically, stoppage time ranges from 1 to 6 minutes per half, though it can occasionally be longer in exceptional circumstances.
This standardized 90-minute format applies to virtually all levels of football, from local amateur leagues to the highest professional competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Premier League, and other major tournaments and leagues around the world. The consistency of this time format helps maintain uniformity in the sport globally and ensures that players, coaches, and fans know exactly what to expect from a standard match duration.
