A friendly game of soccer or a friendly match in soccer is just that, friendly. It’s like playing a game of pickup basketball but for soccer. What is a friendly soccer match? Or what are soccer friendlies?
A soccer friendly is a noncompetitive game played outside or beyond any recognized soccer competition. A soccer friendly is a game or match that does not count.
“Friendly” means the same thing as exhibition. Much like a MLB spring training game or NFL Preseason.
It has no effect on standings or a tournament. Because the match is not competitive, in terms of counting against the team in a positive or negative way in the standings, the match is known as a friendly.
A friendly soccer match or a soccer friendly is the same as an exhibition match. Exhibition games are unofficial games yet played under the same rules and regulations of their sport.
The same goes for a soccer friendly, the rules are the same and the time of the match is the same. However, the game or match does not count. That’s why it’s considered a friendly.
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Are Friendly Games Official?
Soccer friendlies are exhibition matches that are not official in the standings or tournament. They can also be known as a scrimmage like what we have in baseball and football in a preseason game.
A soccer friendly is just like that. Almost like a warm-up match. A soccer friendly does not count in any official standings. Such as the English Premier League or FIFA Tournament. It’s much like a practice game or match.
The rules are still the same in soccer friendlies, and the goals count in the particular match, but the end result has no barring on any standings or a team’s wins, losses, or draws.
The same goes for the player’s statistics on soccer friendlies. Just like spring training baseball or preseason football. The stats a player produces in those games or matches do not count in their overall season or career statistics.
Again, think of a soccer friendly just like you do of any preseason, exhibition, scrimmage, or warm-up game. Friendly soccer games are not official.
How Long is a Soccer Friendly?
A friendly soccer game, or soccer friendly is the same time as an official soccer match. 90 minutes long split by two 45-minute halves.
There is also the possibility of extra time or stoppage time as well. Soccer friendlies follow the same rules and regulations as any other official soccer game, but it just doesn’t count in the end.
To learn more about soccer time per match, see our article How Long is a Soccer Match?
A Soccer friendly game will run just as long as any other soccer game, with the running clock, and stoppage time if needed.
Soccer friendlies have referees and still use yellow and red cards and any other penalties. Just like a normal counted soccer game. Substitutions and scorekeeping is exactly the same.
A friendly soccer game is 90 minutes long split but two 45-minutes halves, not including any stoppage/extra time, if needed.
Why do Teams play Soccer Friendlies?
Teams play soccer friendlies for the same reasons baseball and football teams play in pre-season. Teams play soccer friendlies to warm up or prepare for a real game.
But there is more to it as to why teams play soccer friendlies. The same goes for why baseball, football, and basketball teams play exhibition games or scrimmages.
- Increase the players fitness level
- Provide players more time to play with each other
- Test a teams’ skill against an opposition
- Check a team’s strategy
- Help coaches find which players to keep or cut
- Mark a special occasion (such as an All-Star Game)
- To raise money for charity
All the reasons above show why soccer friendlies and other sports exhibition games shouldn’t count against a teams’ real standings or stats. Again, a friendly game is like a warm-up or scrimmage. And sometimes it’s just to help raise money or to give fans a chance to see two teams play each other that normally wouldn’t.
For example here in the United States we don’t get to see English Premier League Teams or Spanish Premier League Teams play each other live. We would have to travel overseas.
Yet sometimes two big Teams such as Barcelona and Manchester United will play a soccer friendly here in the United States. This is a great way to raise money in a different country along with getting a chance of gaining new fans, selling merchandise to a whole new fan base, all while giving fans high level teams in a match.
At the same time, that match doesn’t count against each team because it’s more about raising money and giving fans a chance to see something new.
Sometimes you see the same thing in Spring Training Baseball where a Major League Baseball Team will play a College Baseball Team. Obviously that game wouldn’t count against either team in their real standings or stats but is fun for the players and fans while at the same time following the same rules of baseball.
What is an International Friendly?
An international friendly is just like any other soccer friendly but this time it’s between two national teams.
Instead of the game being between two club teams, like the example of Barcelona vs Manchester United, it’s instead between two country teams. Or “National” Teams.
An example of this would be the United States vs Mexico, or England vs Italy.
And if it were labeled as a friendly, then the match doesn’t count. The only other times any National Teams would play each other typically would be in the FIFA World Cup, which is the biggest soccer even in the World.
The reasons a team would play an international friendly are for the very same reasons previously mentioned but more geared to raising money and giving fans a chance to see a country’s top players compete against another country’s top players.
Here in the U.S., or at least in California and the West Coast, fans get extremely excited when the U.S. plays Mexico, even if it’s just soccer friendly.
It’s because it feels close to home and feels like a small rivalry. Even if it’s not a tournament or World Cup Competition, it’s still very fun to watch.
An International Friendly is the same thing as any other soccer friendly except it’s between two countries or two national teams.
What is a Soccer Friendly Conclusion
The term friendly means the same thing in soccer as exhibition, scrimmage, and warm-up game. A soccer friendly is a game that does not count against a team’s standings in real competition or a player and team’s stats.
A soccer friendly is a game between two teams with the same rules and time as any other soccer game except it does not count in the end.
The bottom line is a soccer friendly is a competitive game between two teams but is essentially a scrimmage. Mostly to warm up or prepare for a real game or season, but also to raise money and give fans a chance to see two teams play each other outside of real competition.