What Is Stoppage Time in Soccer? How Added Minutes Really Work

Stoppage time in soccer is the extra playing time added at the end of a half to compensate for interruptions. It is also known as added time or injury time. It explains why a match can keep going after the clock reaches 45 or 90 minutes, and why a displayed “+5” is a minimum rather than a fixed deadline.

This guide uses IFAB Law 7, checked on October 11, 2026, as the governing source.

What does 90+5 mean?

If the stadium clock reads 90+5, play is in the fifth minute beyond the scheduled 90 minutes of normal time. The same notation can appear after 45 minutes in the first half. Those minutes are not a new 15-minute extra-time half: they belong to the regulation half being completed.

The fourth official’s board showing “5” means the referee has determined at least five additional minutes are necessary. If players need treatment during those minutes or another material delay occurs, the referee may allow more time before ending the game.

Which stoppages are counted?

Under Law 7, the referee makes allowance for time lost through:

• Substitutions: delayed exits, entries and administration.
• Injuries: assessment and removal of injured players.
• Time-wasting: deliberately slow restarts and similar delays.
• Discipline: yellow or red card administration.
• Medical breaks: permitted drinks and cooling breaks.
• VAR: checks and on-field reviews.
• Celebrations: substantial time after goals.
• Other delays: significant disruption before a restart.

There is no universal “30 seconds per substitution” rule in IFAB Law 7 that precisely replaces the referee’s judgment. The official considers actual time lost. A substitution that proceeds promptly and one delayed by several minutes are not necessarily treated the same way.

Who chooses how many minutes are added?

The referee, not the scoreboard operator or the fourth official, is responsible for the allowance. The fourth official communicates the minimum amount determined by the referee. TV graphics normally relay that information; they do not decide the final whistle.

Consider a second half with three minutes lost to injury treatment, one to substitutions and two to a VAR review. The referee may determine an allowance based on those and any other relevant interruptions. This is a teaching example, not a mathematical formula that automatically binds the official in every game.

Can the referee play more than the number on the board?

Yes. Law 7 explicitly allows the minimum displayed amount to be increased if necessary, but not reduced. A six-minute announcement can become seven or eight minutes if a new delay occurs during added time. The referee can also extend a half until a penalty kick is completed if one must be taken or retaken.

That is why a late corner kick does not guarantee the referee must wait until the attacking team finishes an entire move. The correct moment to end play is governed by the referee’s timekeeping and the specific restart rules, including the penalty-kick exception.

Stoppage time vs. extra time: the essential difference

Want the full timeline? Read our explanation of the soccer field and markings and our offside rules guide. Those rules still apply when a referee adds time.

Stoppage-time FAQ

Why is stoppage time longer than it used to be?

Some competitions have emphasized accounting more fully for goals, treatments and restarts. The actual amount still depends on interruptions and the referee’s assessment, not on a guaranteed number per match.

Is injury time always played in both halves?

Allowance can be made in either half when meaningful playing time was lost. One half may have no additional allowance displayed while another has several minutes.

Does a goal at 90+7 count?

Yes, if the ball legally enters the goal before the referee ends the match and no other offence cancels it. Added minutes are fully part of play.

Image credit: Egghead06 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, unchanged. Photograph shows an official signaling added time.