Definition of Added Time

What does the term "added time" mean in the football world? What is the definition of "added time"?

In the game of football, "added time" refers to the time that is added to each half in order to compensate for stoppages that take place throughout the game.

For instance - let's say that Man Utd is playing host to Man City. Over the course of the first half, the referee says that play was halted for a total of four minutes due to stoppages in play (a stoppage could include play stopping due to somebody being injured and down on the field). So, the referee will declare that four minutes will be added onto the end of the first half.





The same thing applies for the second half as well - the referee will count up the stoppages in play and add this time onto the end of the second half.

Why is added time needed?

Well, let's say that two top clubs are squaring off in the Champions League finals, and let's say that one club is up 1-0 with 5 minutes left in the game.

In this case, what would stop the club that is leading the match from simply booting the ball out of play or having three of their guys down on the field, faking injuries, if there were no added time? If added time weren't a thing, the final minutes of the game would tick down without the losing team being given a chance to score the equalizer.

Added time is used to prevent clubs from stalling at the end of games in order to secure victories.