Understanding Overtime and Penalty Kicks in Olympic Soccer

Resolving tied soccer matches has been a longstanding issue. It’s unfair to push players beyond their limits searching for a win. The current methods may not always determine the most deserving winner.

Olympic soccer stands out due to its unique structure and diverse participating teams, notably on the men’s side.

When it comes to overtime in the Olympics, it follows standard procedures, diverging from stoppage time at the end of regular halves.

This guide navigates through the protocol for determining match outcomes in Olympic soccer.

Durations of Extra Time in Olympic Soccer

In the group stage, matches do not extend into extra time, with draws awarding each team one point.

For knockout matches in both men’s and women’s Olympic soccer, if the score remains tied after regulation and stoppage time, teams play 30 minutes of extra time split into two 15-minute halves.

Extra time does not end abruptly with a single goal; teams play the full 30 minutes regardless of scoring.

Although some tournaments skip extra time and head straight to penalties, like the Copa America, the Olympics stick to the traditional extra time followed by penalties format.

Procedure for Penalty Shootouts in Olympic Soccer

If teams are still level after extra time, they proceed to a penalty shootout to determine the victor.

The shootout comprises two stages: each team takes five penalties, and the team with more successful shots wins. In case of equality, sudden death penalties decide the outcome.