High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Overtime is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring the game to a decision and avoid declaring the contest a tie or draw. Some sports refer to additional tie-breaking periods as extra time.In association football matches that require a clear winner (such as in elimination matches in the knockout stages of a tournament), if the score is tied at the end of the two standard playing periods (usually 45 minutes), two periods of extra time (usually 15 minutes) may be played. If the game is still tied after the second period, it is normally followed by a penalty shootout.