Full-time.
90 minutes of game time. 45 minutes each half.
15 minutes of break at half-time. (More to 20 minutes if you watch on TV).
Injury-time.
Also known as stoppage time. This is given to allow for stuff that happened while the game was on. Examples are player injuries, bookings (explained in previous post), unfortunate delays (weather, a fan gone crazy and raised hell), or substitutions. How much time is given depends on a lot of variables, some not quite understood. Injury-time can vary from 1 minute up to 6 minutes (the most I've ever seen). Extra-time is given at the end of each halves and is extremely up to the referee's mood and he can call it off sooner, or let it play on longer. Note the referee wearing 2 watches next time you watch a footie match.
Extra-time.
ET is only given during championship or elimination matches. They are not given in league matches (those that run the course of the season where points are counted, not who wins or lose). ET is needed to provide a winning team especially when the score is tied (0-0 or 2-2 and no one has away goals advantage. Away goals to be explained later). There used to be the Golden Goal rule where the first team to score a goal in ET is awarded the win, but it's gone now. Now, you get 15 minutes of ET per half. If no one still scores, we go to the penalties.
Penalty Shootout.
The most nail-biting, heart-stopping part of a competitive match. Also pretty unfair but rules are rules. Each team sends out shooters to go against each other's goalies. Usually, 5 shots are given per team, where you need to get 1 more than the other team to win. However, if both teams keep scoring, there's little choice but to let them shoot it out until a shooter (or a keeper) makes a mistake.
Famous shootouts include the AC Milan - Juventus Champions League Final, and the legendary Istanbul incident where Liverpool beat out AC Milan in the penalties after fighting back from 0-3 to 3-3.
Away Goals.
During a championship knockout stage, where a team must win to progress, the away goals rule is applied. No points are necessary, so goal difference (GD) or aggregate (AGG) score is required. Let's say Roma is playing at home. They score 2 goals and win the match, but Manchester United score 1 goal. An away goal. If at Manchester's home ground they win 1-0 (bringing the AGG score to 2-2), Manchester United would progress as they have an away goal, whereas Roma only has home goals. The concept is that its harder to score at your opponent's home ground, as you are unfamiliar with it. Of course, Manchester United banged in 7 goals to 1 in the 2nd leg of this knockout to progress with an AGG score of 8-3. True story by the way.
Substitutions.
Each team is allowed 3 substitution per match.
Aussie substitution.
Squad.
A football squad must consist of a minimum of 16 players. 11 starters and 5 subs. A squad (like the Blue Baboons aka Chelsea) of course have no limits as to how many players they have, as long as they can afford to pay all of them.
Play is stopped and automatically conceded to the opponents once a team reaches less than 7 players available on the pitch.
A possible scenario goes like this. You start with 11 players. 3 get injured, and you must sub them. 2 players are red-carded (sent-off, read post below) and sent to the locker room. 2 more players are injured and unable to continue. Then, the goalkeeper has his skull broken a la Petr Catch (Chelsea goalie). However much time is left, you can't continue.
Points.
Easy to understand. A team gets 3 points for a win (W), 1 point for a draw (D) and 0 points for a loss (L). Strategically speaking, 2 wins are better than 5 draws. That's why United are champions. The Blue Baboons drew too many games.
Goals.
GF - Goals for. Goals scored by your team.
GA - Goals against. Goals scored against your team.
GD - Goal difference. Mathematical formula of GF-GA=GD.
Jason~
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