A standard FIFA game lasts for 12 minutes of match time, split into two 6-minute halves.
Ever wondered how long is a FIFA game? It’s a common question for new players and seasoned vets alike. The quick pace of play and excitement can make it seem like time flies by. This can vary slightly depending on settings and modes.
However, in most standard matches you’ll find the timer ticking down for a short and sweet period. Many will find a complete match quite manageable in a busy day.
How Long Is a FIFA Game? A Detailed Look
Ever wondered exactly how much time you’ll spend on the virtual pitch when you fire up FIFA? Whether you’re squeezing in a quick match or settling in for a long gaming session, knowing the duration of a FIFA game is key. It’s not as simple as a single number because it depends on the game mode you’re playing and how you tweak the settings. Let’s dive into the details so you know what to expect.
Understanding the Basics: Standard Match Length
The most common length for a FIFA match is 12 minutes. This isn’t 12 minutes of real-time, but rather 12 minutes of in-game time. Think of it like how a real-life soccer game is 90 minutes, but the clock stops when the ball goes out of play or during injuries. In FIFA, the game clock keeps running even during breaks, but thankfully, it’s much shorter than a 90-minute real game!
The Two Halves
Just like in a real soccer match, a FIFA game is divided into two halves. Each half is typically 6 minutes long when you are playing the standard settings. So, 6 minutes of game play in the first half, and 6 minutes again in the second half.
Default Settings
EA Sports, the developer of FIFA, usually sets 12 minutes as the default match length. This is the standard you’ll usually encounter when playing against the computer or your friends. This is the standard time used in most modes like Kick-off. If you’re playing a quick game without changing any settings, this is almost always the match duration you’ll experience.
Customizing Match Length: Taking Control
One of the cool features of FIFA is the ability to adjust match length to your preference. This means you aren’t stuck with 12-minute games all the time. You can shorten the game for faster play or lengthen it for a more realistic soccer experience. Knowing how to change the match length can be very useful.
Where to Change Settings
You’ll usually find these options in the ‘Game Settings’ or ‘Match Settings’ menus before starting a game. There’s a ‘Half Length’ option that lets you control how long each half will be, and by extension the overall match duration. The settings are similar across various versions of FIFA, from FIFA 20 to the latest versions.
Available Options
Typically, FIFA allows you to choose from a variety of match lengths. Common options include:
- 3 minutes
- 4 minutes
- 5 minutes
- 6 minutes (default)
- 8 minutes
- 10 minutes
- 15 minutes
- 20 minutes
As you can see, there is a good amount of control. Shorter matches (like 3-5 minutes) are ideal for quick gaming sessions, maybe if you are taking a short break or waiting for something. Longer matches like 10-20 minutes, provide a more immersive experience with a larger time to implement tactics and see a more realistic scoreline. If you are more into simulating real soccer matches, the longer match times will be better.
Match Length in Different Game Modes
The actual length of a FIFA match can vary depending on which game mode you choose. Each mode has different objectives, so match times are sometimes adjusted to make the game flow better.
Kick-off Mode
This is the standard mode where you play a single game against the computer or another player. The standard match duration is 12 minutes (6 minutes per half). You can adjust this as described above in the match settings, but normally it will be 12 minutes if you have not changed the settings.
Career Mode
In Career Mode, where you manage a team through multiple seasons, the standard game length is also 12 minutes by default, just like Kick Off. Again, you can change the match time in the settings menu. A lot of people like to play Career mode matches at six minutes each half, so that it is not too long or too short. It gives you a nice amount of time to make tactical changes and see the match play out.
Ultimate Team (FUT)
FIFA Ultimate Team, often called FUT, features various game modes, and match lengths can vary slightly. In Squad Battles or Rivals, you’ll usually see the standard 12-minute match, or whatever you set it to in your game settings. Weekend League or FUT Champions games are also generally 12 minutes, but with high intensity and importance. Some modes might have slightly shorter matches to keep up the pace.
Online Seasons and Friendlies
When you play online against other players in Seasons or Friendlies, the match duration is usually the default 12 minutes. However, if you play with a friend in a private friendly match, the match length would be whatever setting you choose in your game settings. You can coordinate with your friend to decide on the length that works best for both of you.
The Impact of Match Length on Gameplay
The length of a FIFA match impacts the game significantly. It influences your strategies, pacing, and overall experience. Shorter games demand quick thinking and decisive moves, whereas longer matches allow for more tactical depth and the opportunity to recover from mistakes. It is important to understand the impact that the match length has on the game, to get the optimal experience.
Shorter Matches: Fast and Furious
When you play shorter matches (like 3-5 minutes), they feel much faster-paced. There’s no time for mistakes. You will need to start with a bang to make a big difference. Goals tend to be more common, and the scoreline can change quickly. These short matches are great for people who don’t have a lot of time to play but want a quick game of soccer.
Longer Matches: Tactical and Strategic
Longer matches, on the other hand (like 10-20 minutes), offer a more strategic soccer experience. You have more time to make tactical changes and see these strategies play out over the course of the match. You can use substitutions more effectively, change your formation to try to hold onto a lead or try to get back in the game if you are down. A longer match gives you a longer time to build your attacks, and these tactics mirror how soccer is played in the real world.
Other Factors Influencing Game Time
While the length of the half is the main factor determining how long a FIFA game is, other elements can extend the total playtime. Understanding these can help you better estimate how much time a game might take.
In-Game Cutscenes
FIFA includes short cutscenes for goals, substitutions, injuries, and red cards. These cutscenes don’t take up much of the game time, but the sum of them can make a small difference in your overall game time. If you score a lot of goals, then there are more cutscenes of the goals and you will take a little bit longer to finish the game.
Replays
Replays, especially after a goal, can add a little more time to your total play time. You can decide to watch them or skip them. If you always watch the full replay then your total play time will be more. If you skip all replays then you will have less overall game time.
Pauses and Tactics Adjustments
If you pause frequently to make tactical changes or substitutes, this will add to your total game time. A lot of times you will need to pause the game in order to make substitutions and that will add to the overall play time of a game.
Extra Time and Penalties
Some game modes or competitions have the possibility of extra time and penalties if the score is tied at the end of the standard time. This can extend the length of a game by a significant margin if it happens. If your game goes to penalty kicks, this can add a few more minutes onto the game time as you go through each penalty kick.
How Long Does a FIFA game actually take?
Okay, so we’ve covered the game clock and what setting you might use. Let’s talk about total time, from the time that you press play, to when the final whistle is blown. Let’s look at some examples.
Example: Standard 12-Minute Game
A standard 12 minute game in FIFA does not take exactly 12 minutes to complete. You have to factor in other events that extend the game time. The clock stops for goals, substitutions, injuries, cutscenes and also the halftime break. In total, a standard 12-minute match usually takes around 15-20 minutes to complete, depending on how often you pause or watch replays. This is a general estimate and can be longer with more cutscenes.
Example: Shorter 6-Minute Game
Let’s say that you shorten the match times to 6 minutes for a quick game. Well, this will normally take around 10-12 minutes to play, including the loading times, cutscenes and halftime. If you are not skipping all of the cutscenes, then your game will take more time, and maybe you will only be able to squeeze in one quick game in your break.
Example: Longer 20-Minute Game
A longer game set to 20 minutes (10 minutes per half) can take around 25-30 minutes. This is because longer games have more time for the ball to go out of play, and for more goals to be scored which makes for more cutscenes. If you are making more tactical changes during pauses this will add a little more to the game time.
Tips for Managing Your Play Time
Knowing how long a FIFA game can be is useful for managing your play time. You can plan your gaming sessions better. Here are a few tips for making the most of your time on the virtual pitch.
Setting Match Length Based on Time Available
If you only have 20 minutes for your break, you probably should not play a match of 10 minutes per half, as it will probably take around 25-30 minutes to finish. If you want to play a quick match, set the match length to 3-5 minutes per half so that you can complete the game before your time runs out.
Using Pauses Strategically
Try to avoid pausing too frequently during your games because it adds to the total game time. If you want a quick game, then avoid frequent pauses and don’t watch the replays. Plan the game out and make sure that you do not pause too much, so you do not extend the game time unnecessarily.
Being Mindful of Cutscenes and Replays
If you are in a rush and want the game to go quicker, you can skip the cutscenes and replays, this will speed up the time of the match, and help you get more games in. On the other hand, if you want to enjoy the goals and celebrate, then you can watch the replays, and this will add a bit to your total match time.
In conclusion, the standard FIFA match is set for 12 minutes, but you can adjust this based on your preference and time. Remember that the overall length of a FIFA match will vary from just the in-game time due to cutscenes, replays, pauses and potential for extra time. Understanding these factors will help you plan your gaming sessions and enjoy FIFA to the fullest. So now you know that you should probably pick a shorter game if you do not have much time. And if you have all day, you can try playing longer match lengths!
Easy Way To Score Epic FIFA 23 Goals⭐️
Final Thoughts
A standard FIFA game lasts 90 minutes of in-game time. This is split into two 45-minute halves, with a short break in between. Factors like injuries or stoppages can slightly increase the total playtime.
However, the overall real-time commitment depends on settings. When you add time for menu navigation and loading screens, the duration expands. So, how long is a fifa game? It generally takes around 12-20 minutes to complete an entire match.
