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Football (Soccer) vocabulary · Rules, Fouls & Match Time

Half-time

Meaning in football (soccer), with examples

/ˌhæfˈtaɪm/nounCore term

In football (soccer), half-time means: The break between the two halves of a match, which must not be longer than 15 minutes, when players rest and coaches give instructions.

In Turkish: devre arası, ilk yarı sonu

How it is used

Used with at: at half-time. The score at the break is the half-time score, and a manager gives a half-time team talk or makes a half-time substitution. The two halves are the first half and the second half.

Example sentences

  1. We were 2-0 down at half-time, but the manager's team talk changed everything.

  2. He came on at half-time and scored within ten minutes.

Common collocations

  • at half-time
  • half-time score
  • half-time team talk
  • half-time whistle
  • kick-offThe kick from the centre spot that starts each half and restarts play after a goal; also the time a match is due to start.
  • stoppage timeMinutes the referee adds at the end of each half to make up for time lost through substitutions, injuries, VAR checks and other delays.
  • extra timeTwo additional periods of 15 minutes played in some knockout matches when the score is level after 90 minutes; if it is still level, a penalty shootout follows.
  • substitutionReplacing a player on the pitch with a substitute; the number allowed depends on the competition, and a player who comes off cannot return.

More terms: Rules, Fouls & Match Time

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