​World Cup rules for extra time and penalty shootouts: Knockout stage tie-breakers explained, originally published by The Sporting News. The Sporting News is listed as a preferred source by following the link. The 48-team World Cup was reduced to 32 nations for the knockout rounds, from the opening Round of 32 match where Canada edged South Africa 1-0 in Los Angeles, through to the final in New York on July 19, with every game requiring a winner on the day. In the group stage, a draw earned each team one point; in knockout soccer, only advancement matters. So what happens if a knockout match is level after regulation time in the World Cup?
What is extra time at the World Cup? When a knockout match is tied after 90 minutes, an additional 30 minutes of extra time is played, in two 15-minute halves, and it is always completed in full. In the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, FIFA used the golden goal rule, where a goal in extra time ended the match immediately for the scoring team. From 2006 onward, FIFA returned to conventional extra time. All regulations from regulation time continue during extra time, and each team is allowed one extra substitution, bringing total substitutions to six if the game goes to extra time.
When does a match go to penalties at the World Cup? If the teams remain level after 120 minutes, a penalty shootout is invoked. In a shootout, teams alternate five kicks each from the penalty spot (12 yards from goal) to try to outscore the opponent. A shootout ends if one team gains an insurmountable lead within the initial five kicks. If still tied, the process moves to sudden death, where each pair of kicks forms its own round; the first occurrence of one team scoring and the other missing ends the shootout. If the score remains level after all 11 players have taken their initial five penalties, those players who took part in the first five continue under sudden death. Players must be on the field at the end of extra time to participate in the shootout; if a player is substituted before that point, they cannot take a kick.