Football Guides
How Football Results Work
A football match lasts two halves of 45 minutes plus stoppage time. League matches can end in a draw; knockout ties need a winner, so competitions use extra time, penalty shoot-outs or aggregate scores over two legs to decide one.
How long a match lasts
Under the Laws of the Game, a match has two halves of 45 minutes. The referee adds stoppage time (added time) at the end of each half for substitutions, injuries, time-wasting, VAR reviews and other stoppages. The result at the final whistle is the full-time result.
Results in league matches
League matches can end in a win for either team or a draw. The result is final after 90 minutes plus stoppage time, and points are awarded: 3 for a win, 1 each for a draw. Learn how league tables work
Results in knockout matches
- Extra time: two periods of 15 minutes if a single-match tie is level after 90 minutes.
- Penalty shoot-out: if still level, teams take five kicks each, then sudden death.
- Two-legged ties: the team with more goals across both matches (the aggregate) advances. If the aggregate is level, extra time and penalties follow in the second leg.
- Away goals: UEFA abolished the away goals rule in its club competitions from 2021–22, so away goals no longer break ties there. Other competitions set their own rules.
How results are written
| Notation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| FT | Full time: the result after 90 minutes plus stoppage time |
| AET | After extra time |
| Pens / (4–3 pens) | Decided by a penalty shoot-out; the shoot-out score is shown separately |
| Agg. | Aggregate score across two legs |
| HT | Half-time score |
Abandoned and awarded matches
A match stopped before full time — for example because of weather or safety — is abandoned. The competition then decides whether it is replayed, resumed or given an awarded result. Awarded results also follow disciplinary decisions, such as fielding an ineligible player.
How results feed tables
Every league result updates the table: points, goals for and against, and goal difference. Cup results decide who advances. On Score8, results appear only once they come from a verified data source. Browse the results section