An MLS game typically lasts for approximately 90 minutes, plus added time for stoppages.
Ever wondered about the clock ticking during a Major League Soccer match? Many fans often ask, how long does an MLS game last, and it’s a valid question. The pace of play is intense and understanding the duration helps you plan your viewing.
The actual playing time is pretty standard, but various factors can add minutes at the end of each half. This extra time depends on injuries, substitutions and other pauses in game.
How Long Does an MLS Game Last?
So, you’re wondering how long you’ll be glued to your seat, cheering on your favorite Major League Soccer team? That’s a great question! It’s important to know what to expect before you settle in for a match. While the advertised game time is usually around two hours, the actual time can vary a little. Let’s break down everything that makes up the total time of an MLS game.
The Core Game Time: 90 Minutes
At the heart of every MLS match is the regulation playing time, which is always 90 minutes. Think of it like this: it’s the set time the players have to try and score goals and win the game. This 90 minutes is split into two halves, each lasting 45 minutes. There’s a halftime break in between, where players take a breather, strategize, and maybe grab a quick drink of water.
Understanding the Two Halves
Each half is a separate chunk of time, and both halves are treated the same in terms of rules and time. The clock counts up from 0 to 45 minutes in the first half. Then, after the halftime break, the second half starts again at 0 and goes up to 45 minutes. This standard setup is the same across almost all professional soccer leagues around the world, not just MLS, making it easy to follow even if you watch different competitions.
Halftime Break
Between those two 45-minute halves is halftime. This break typically lasts for 15 minutes. During this time, the players leave the field to rest and regroup. Coaches often give pep talks and adjustments to try and improve their team’s performance. Halftime is also an opportunity for fans to stretch their legs, get snacks, or use the restrooms. For the audience, it’s a chance to take a break before the action starts back up again.
Added Time: Stoppage Time or Injury Time
Here’s where things get a bit more flexible. The 90 minutes is the core playing time, but there’s often time added at the end of each half. This added time is called stoppage time, or injury time, and it’s meant to make up for any delays that occurred during the half. These delays can be anything from player injuries and substitutions to other stoppages that eat into the normal game time.
How Referees Calculate Stoppage Time
The referee is the one who decides how much stoppage time to add. They watch carefully for events during the half that caused the game to stop. Things like:
- Injuries: If a player gets hurt and needs medical attention, that time gets added.
- Substitutions: When players are swapped, the time it takes for them to come on and off the field counts.
- Time-wasting: Sometimes, players might try to waste time intentionally. Referees can add extra time to offset this.
- VAR Checks: Sometimes, referees review the video replays for some big decisions. This process can also take several minutes.
- Other Stoppages: Any other reason the game stops, like ball out of play or some issues on field.
It’s important to note that the added time is just an estimate. The referee might decide to add a few extra seconds if they think it’s necessary. There is no upper limit on how much stoppage time a referee can add, but it is very rare to see an added time of more than 7 minutes in any given half of a regular season game.
Why is Stoppage Time Important?
Stoppage time is really important because it ensures that every minute of playing time is accounted for. It stops teams from wasting time and protects the integrity of the 90 minutes game. Sometimes, a goal can even be scored in stoppage time that can change the whole result. This is what makes soccer so exciting and unpredictable.
Total Game Time: What to Expect
So, now we know the core game is 90 minutes, plus a 15 minute half-time break, and time added on each half for stoppage. So what does that typically add up to? While the advertised time might be around two hours, the actual time from start to the final whistle can vary. Here’s a general idea of what you can expect:
- Core game time: 90 minutes
- Halftime: 15 minutes
- Stoppage time: Usually 1-5 minutes per half, but sometimes more.
This means that an MLS match usually lasts around 1 hour and 50 minutes to 2 hours and 10 minutes. Keep in mind though, that each game is unique. Some games have very little stoppage time, while others can have quite a bit.
Factors That Affect Game Length
There are several reasons why one MLS game might run longer than another. Let’s take a look at some of those contributing factors:
- Number of Injuries: If a game has many injuries, there’s going to be more added time.
- Frequent Substitutions: More substitutions lead to more time added.
- Controversial Calls: If VAR is needed very often or there are many controversial calls in game, that will add to game length.
- High Scoring Games: Typically, high scoring games tend to have more stoppages, as game is stopped every time there is a goal scored.
- Referee Decisions: Some referees tend to add more time than others.
Extra Time in MLS: When Games Don’t End
Sometimes, a soccer game is tied after the regular 90 minutes plus any added time. In MLS, this only happens during the MLS Cup Playoffs (the games to determine the league champion) and other knockout tournaments such as the US Open Cup. When it happens, the game goes into extra time, which is a different kind of additional time.
Understanding Extra Time
Extra time is a set period of play added if the scores are level at the end of regulation time in a knockout tournament. This typically consists of two 15-minute periods, for a total of 30 minutes. There is also typically a short break in the middle for players to rest.
In extra time there is no stoppage time as such, but referee can add very few seconds in the end of the extra time periods if it is necessary. The idea is that the added 30 minutes give teams a further opportunity to try to score the winning goal.
The Possibility of a Penalty Shootout
If the score is still tied after extra time, it’s time for a penalty shootout. This is the last resort to decide the winner of the game. Penalty shootouts are fast paced and exciting, but only used if there is a need to determine a clear winner from the game. Each team gets five chances to score from the penalty spot. The team with the most goals wins the game. If the teams are tied after the first five rounds of penalties, then the shootout continues with single-round penalties till someone wins it.
How Extra Time and Penalty Shootouts Affect Total Game Length
If an MLS game goes into extra time and a penalty shootout, then the total time of the game can stretch to over 2 hours and 30 minutes or even longer. But this only happens in knockout tournament games. Most of the regular season games usually end within 2 hours and 10 minutes with any stoppages during the match included.
Watching the Clock
It’s useful to keep in mind that the clock you see on the screen or in the stadium isn’t a countdown timer. Instead, it counts up from 0 to 45 minutes in each half, and then that’s the time the referee uses to make a decision about stoppages. So, at the end of a half, the screen might show “45:00” but, there could be added time.
MLS Game Length Overview
Here is a quick overview of how long an MLS game lasts:
| Game Component | Typical Duration |
|---|---|
| First Half | 45 minutes |
| Halftime | 15 minutes |
| Second Half | 45 minutes |
| Stoppage Time (each half) | 1-5 minutes (can vary) |
| Extra Time (if needed) | 30 minutes (2 x 15 minute halves) |
| Penalty Shootout (if needed) | Varies |
Understanding the different parts of a game can help make watching MLS even more enjoyable, as you know what to expect in terms of overall time commitments, and you can be more in tune with all the action on the field. So, next time you watch an MLS game, you’ll know exactly why it lasts a little bit longer than the initial two hours!
Understanding all the factors involved can make watching MLS more exciting, and helps you get a better grasp of how games are structured. Knowing this, you can plan your game day accordingly and soak in all the excitement. You will also get a better understanding of the game. Enjoy the next game!
A Beginner’s Guide to MLS
Final Thoughts
A typical MLS game lasts 90 minutes, divided into two 45-minute halves. There’s a halftime break of approximately 15 minutes. Added time, for stoppages, occurs at the end of each half.
Therefore, the total duration of a game including added time and halftime, usually sits around two hours. Considering these factors, understanding ‘how long does an MLS game last’ becomes clear.
