Are the Olympic soccer overtime rules different than those at the World Cup?
The rules for Olympic soccer are the same as for other international competitions, with one important difference. All but three players on men’s teams must be under 23 years old. The reason is so the Olympic competition does not rival the World Cup, the only sporting event on earth to attract more fans than the Summer Olympics. It also serves to distinguish the Olympic game and to attract exciting young players. Since the women’s World Cup has not yet reached the kind of international stature the men’s side enjoys, there’s no age cap in the women’s tournament, although there is a minimum age requirement of 16 for women players. Sources: http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/soccer/story/2008/05/07/f-olympics-football-essentials.
