How long is a blind football match?
B · Beginner · The game · 3 of 3A match is two 20-minute halves, with up to 10 minutes' break, on a clock that stops at every stoppage. Each team has one one-minute time-out per half, granted when it has the ball. The crowd and benches must stay silent while the ball is in play; the PA speaker asks for quiet, and breaking it deliberately is an offence.
How it works
- Halves: 20 minutes each.
- Half-time: up to 10 minutes.
- Stopped clock: at every stoppage.
- End: a penalty awarded is still taken.
- Time-out: one minute, one per half.
- Granted: when the team has the ball.
- Silence: while the ball is in play.
- Officials: timekeeper, scorer and PA speaker.
The glossary has the match (blind football), the stopped clock, the time-out (blind football), the silence, the timekeeper, scorer and PA speaker and the substitution during a time-out.
Tricky cases
A team saves its first-half time-out. Two in the second?
No. Still one.
The time runs out as a penalty is given. Is it taken?
Yes.
Can the coach call instructions during play?
Yes, from the midfield third; other noise is an offence.
Must the match end with the ball in play?
Yes.
Why the rule exists
Players play by sound, so noise ruins the game. A stopped clock makes the 20 minutes all play.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Clock | Stopped | Law 7 |
| Time-outs | One per half | Law 8 |
| Silence | Ball in play | Law 5, 12 |
From the rule book
IBSA Football Sport Committee, IBSA Blind Football Laws of the Game 2025-2029, Laws 3, 5, 7, 8 and 12. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: IBSA Blind Football Laws of the Game 2025-2029.