How long are high school soccer games, and is there overtime?
Rule- USA
- NFHS
- High school
- Grades 9-12 (ages 14-18)
- Varsity
- NFHS soccer rules
- 2026-27 season
- Players
Under NFHS Rule 7:
- Game length: two 40-minute halves or four 20-minute quarters.
- Halftime: 10 minutes, unless the coaches agree otherwise.
- Clock stops after goals, on penalty kicks, for yellow and red cards, for injuries, and at the referee's discretion. It also stops if the leading team substitutes in the final 5 minutes of regulation or overtime.
- Overtime: allowed if your state association adopts it, up to 20 minutes maximum. There are 5 minutes between the end of the game and the first overtime period, and 2 minutes between overtime periods. Postseason tie-breaking procedures are set by each state association.
- Suspended games: a game is official once one half has been played, unless your state association says otherwise. If a game is suspended in the first half, the state association decides whether it restarts from the beginning or from the point of suspension.
Added 21 Oct 2026