A full-time in football is defined as the standard playing time for an adult football match. A full-time is made up of two halves, each having 45 minutes. During a match, the clock continues to run even when the ball is out of play. A 15-minute half-time break is usually given to the teams between the halves, also known as the half-time break. The end of this 90-minute match is called full-time. Extra time is only added to this 90-minutes when an injury occurs during a match. This is called stoppage time or injury time. It is added at the end of each of the two halves, at the discretion of the referee.
Why Does a Football Game Take 90-minute?
The 90-minute standard football game is taken after the football games in Britain. Back in 1866, during the match between Sheffield and London, both of the participating teams agreed on a pre-arranged 90-minute game for the match. This match is known to be the first known 90-minute game in the history of football. Since this event, all football games worldwide are set within a 90-minute match. This rule has been embedded in the game since then. Club games and games with younger players are allowed to be played shorter to compensate for the lack of fitness that professional players have.
The FA Rules for Professional Football Games
According to the FA official rules, the duration of a professional adult football match shall be 90 minutes, except for cases under the Competition Rules. An extra 30 minutes shall be played for unavoidable and unexpected instances during a match. The referee shall allow extra game time for a match in accordance with the Laws of the Game. This is true when accidents and unexpected circumstances happen during game time. The decision of the referee is final and is not subject to any appeal. During the start of the match, both teams shall enter the field and play against each other 5 minutes prior to the kick-off time. The Match Officials also entered the field during this period. A tie-breaker and knockout rounds may also cause football games to extend beyond the 90 minute standard game time.