Youth Soccer Game Format — Halves, Periods & Match Length

The Basics: Two Halves

Every soccer match is divided into two halves with a halftime break in between. Unlike volleyball (which uses sets with variable length) or football (which uses four quarters), soccer halves are timed — the clock runs continuously and each half has a fixed duration.

This makes scorekeeping simpler in some ways: you don't need to track rally scoring or down-and-distance. But it also means the clock management is different — stoppage time, substitution windows, and halftime length all vary by league.

Match Length by Age Group

Youth soccer adjusts match length based on age. Here are the most common formats in US youth leagues (AYSO, US Club, and state associations):

Age Group	Half Length	Total Match	Halftime
U6 / U7	10 min	20 min	5 min
U8 / U9	12 min	24 min	5 min
U10	25 min	50 min	5–10 min
U11 / U12	30 min	60 min	10 min
U13 / U14	35 min	70 min	10 min
U15 / U16	40 min	80 min	10 min
U17 / U18	45 min	90 min	15 min
High School	40 min	80 min	10 min

These are guidelines — your league may differ. Always check your league's rules for the specific match length.

What Changes Between Halves?

At halftime:

1. Teams switch ends — each team defends the opposite goal in the second half
2. Score carries over — unlike volleyball sets, there's no reset. A 2-1 halftime score stays 2-1 when the second half starts
3. Substitutions — most youth leagues allow free substitution at halftime (and often at any stoppage)

Overtime Rules

Most youth league regular-season games do not have overtime — if the score is tied at the end of regulation, the game ends as a draw.

Tournament play typically adds:

• Two overtime periods (usually 5-10 minutes each, depending on age group)
• Penalty kicks if still tied after overtime (each team takes 5 kicks, then sudden-death if still tied)

Stathlon tracks overtime as additional periods after the two regulation halves, and the scoreboard reflects the final result including any extra time.

What Does a Scorekeeper Track?

For each half, the scorekeeper records:

• Goals — who scored and when (assists are tracked in some leagues but not required)
• Cards — yellow cards (caution) and red cards (ejection). A player who receives two yellow cards in the same game gets an automatic red card
• Substitutions — who came on and who went off (required at competitive levels, optional at recreational)

Half-by-Half Scoring in Stathlon

Stathlon's soccer scoring screen shows the running score with a half indicator (1H / 2H). Goals are attributed to the scoring player and timestamped. At the end of the game, the box score shows goals and cards broken down by half.

The game timer runs continuously — Stathlon doesn't enforce official match length because leagues vary so widely. The coach or ref calls halftime and the scorekeeper taps "End Half" in the app.