The 2022 World Cup has reached the final: The winner is the champ, the loser is second place.
Which also means there are no more ties. And that, in turn, means we have the possibility of extra time (or, as it’s called in other sports, overtime).
If you’re here, it means you’re probably wondering what the rules are as we get set to potentially see Argentina and France go beyond the usual 90 minutes (plus stoppage time that’s tacked on).
There are four important things to know: The first is that extra time is a full 30 minutes. Second: They’re split into periods of 15 minutes each (so if you see a whistle blown after 15, you’ll know why).
Third, and maybe the most noteworthy: There’s no “Golden Goal” — a game-winner that immediately ends the match when it’s scored — when it comes to these games. The full extra time is played to the end even when one side scores.
The final note: If there’s a tie after those 30 minutes (plus stoppage time), we get a shootout: Five rounds of teams taking turns taking penalty kicks against opposing goalkeepers. If there’s a tie after that? It goes to sudden death, with each team getting a try. If one player scores and the other doesn’t, game over.
