Why has stoppage time become so much longer?
Aug 18, 2026 · 17:05
Ten-minute additions are not referees' whims: the interpretation changed, not the law.
In recent years it has become normal to see seven, eight or even ten minutes added at the end of a half. Many assume the laws changed, but the text is exactly the same.
This was always the rule
The laws require the referee to add on all time lost: substitutions, injuries, goal celebrations, disciplinary sanctions, VAR checks and obvious time-wasting. In practice this used to be handled with a routine three or four minutes, regardless of how much time was actually lost.
The turning point
Stricter accounting was introduced at major tournaments, where the requirement is to add the time genuinely lost. The aim was to increase the net playing time, which in modern football is often around 55 minutes, and to remove the incentive for constant time-wasting. Club football gradually adopted the practice.
What are the consequences?
Far more goals are scored in stoppage time than before and finishes have become more dramatic, but the physical load on players has grown. That is why cooling breaks, expanded substitute benches and stricter ball-boy protocols have moved into focus.
What to watch for
If a match features many substitutions, injuries and VAR checks, expect a long addition - and remember that the time shown on the board is a minimum: the referee can play longer if further time is lost during stoppage time itself.
