Why is penalty time added to soccer games?
“Stoppage” time is used at the discretion of the officiating referees, though reasoning for it is often vague. The game may be stopped temporarily due to penalty, injury, substitutions, or anything that takes time away from the game. Each instance that a referee deems a break in game play adds 30 seconds plus to actual playing time. Its main goal is to keep a team from protecting its lead by running down the clock.
