HT, FT, AET, PEN: what match statuses on a live score mean
HT means half-time, FT means full-time after 90 minutes plus added time, AET means the match finished after extra time, and PEN – shown on ScoreMondo's English pages as AP – means it was decided by a penalty shoot-out. The other labels on a live score tell you why a match is not being played as planned: postponed, interrupted, abandoned, cancelled or awarded. This guide goes through each one with the exact wording you will see on ScoreMondo.
While the match is in play
Lists and the match header use short forms; where a longer form exists it is given in brackets.
| Label on ScoreMondo | What it means | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Not started | The match is scheduled. The kick-off time is shown in your local time | It goes live at kick-off |
| Live, with a minute such as 23' | The match is in play and the minute is running | The minute counts up to the end of the half |
| H1 / H2 | Marker for the first or second half | – |
| 45+2', 90+4' | Added time: the second minute added to the first half, the fourth added to the second | The half ends when the referee blows |
| HT (Half time) | The interval after the first half, which under Law 7 may not exceed 15 minutes | The second half starts |
| VAR (VAR check in progress) | A check or review is running | The decision is confirmed or changed |
| Break | The pause before extra time, or between the two periods of extra time | Extra time starts or resumes |
| ET (Extra time) | Extra time is being played; the header reads, for example, "Extra time 112'" | Full time after extra time, or penalties |
| Pens (Penalty shoot-out) | The shoot-out is under way; no minute is shown | The match ends when a winner emerges |
Reading the minute
A plain number is the running minute. A plus sign means added time, so the match clock does not pretend that the first half lasts 47 minutes: 45+2' belongs to the first half, 90+4' to the second. In extra time the same idea gives 105+1' and 120+2'. Why referees add those minutes, and how extra time and shoot-outs work, is set out in our guide to added time, extra time and penalties.
When the match is over
| Label | Stands for | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| FT (Full time) | Full-time | Finished after 90 minutes plus added time |
| AET | After extra time | Finished after extra time; the score includes goals scored in extra time |
| AP | After penalties – "PEN" on many other sources | Decided by a shoot-out; the match score stays a draw and the shoot-out score is shown separately |
That last point trips people up. Shoot-out kicks are not match goals, so the scoreline itself remains level. Imagine Newcastle and Brighton draw 1–1 in a cup tie, nobody scores in extra time, and Newcastle win the shoot-out 4–3. The list shows 1–1 with AP, and the match header adds a line reading "Penalties 4–3". Had Newcastle scored in extra time instead, you would see 2–1 with AET and a header line "ET 2–1".
If you arrived here searching for "PEN": it is the same status. Different sites abbreviate it differently, and on ScoreMondo's English pages the label is AP.
When things do not go to plan
These are the labels that cause the most confusion, partly because everyday English uses "postponed", "suspended" and "abandoned" almost interchangeably. On a live score they mean different things.
| Label | What it means | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Postponed | The match will not be played at the planned time | A new date follows; once known it is marked "Rescheduled" on the postponed-matches page |
| Interrupted | Play has been stopped during the match – weather, floodlights, crowd trouble or a medical emergency, for instance | It may resume |
| Suspended | Live coverage of the match is on hold: updates stopped part-way through | The page waits for the match to resume or for a decision |
| Abandoned | The referee ended the match before full time and it did not resume that day | By Law 7 it is replayed unless the competition rules decide otherwise – the result may stand, be awarded, or the remainder be played later |
| Cancelled | The match will not be played at all; there is no new date | Nothing further |
| Awarded | The result was decided by the competition's bodies, not on the pitch – a forfeit or a disciplinary decision | The awarded result counts |
| Not played | The match did not take place and no specific reason is recorded | – |
| Result unknown | The match should be over, but no reliable final result has been received | The result is added once it can be confirmed |
Postponed, interrupted, abandoned: an example
Suppose heavy fog rolls in before Everton v Leeds. If the referee calls the match off before kick-off, it is Postponed. If it kicks off and the referee takes the players off after 30 minutes hoping the fog will lift, it is Interrupted. If the fog does not lift and the referee ends the match for the day, it is Abandoned – and what happens to those 30 minutes is then a question for the competition's rules. ScoreMondo shows Abandoned only once a trusted source confirms it.
"Delayed" does not mean a late kick-off
One label needs a special note. Delayed next to a frozen minute means that our live data for that match is running late; the minute stays frozen until the feed catches up. It says nothing about the match itself.
A match that genuinely has not kicked off at its scheduled time appears as "Not started yet" on the postponed-matches page. That page lists postponed, cancelled, abandoned and rescheduled fixtures in one place and carries a short explanation headed "Why didn't my match start?" – the usual reasons being the weather, the state of the pitch, security or a cup schedule.
Labels on goals
Two tags apply to individual goals instead of the whole match.
- Unconfirmed (in lists, Pending): a goal has been reported early, but the main source has not yet confirmed it. If confirmation does not come, the event "Score corrected" appears and the score returns to what it was.
- Goal disallowed (VAR): the goal was ruled out after a review. Until the decision is made, the match shows VAR.
The reasons a score can move backwards are covered in how live scores work, and the review process itself in VAR explained.
Before kick-off
A match page is useful well before the first whistle. Official line-ups usually appear about an hour before kick-off, and the kick-off time is always converted to your own time zone. You can browse today's football live scores, jump to the matches live right now, look back at yesterday's results or open a competition such as the Premier League to see its fixtures and results tabs. If you want to be told when a status changes – kick-off, half-time, full-time – the alerts and favourites guide shows how to follow a match or a team.
Frequently asked questions
What does FT mean on a live score?
Full-time. The match finished after 90 minutes plus added time. If it needed extra time you will see AET instead, and if it went to a shoot-out, AP.
What is the difference between AET and AP (PEN)?
AET means the match was settled during extra time and the score includes the goals scored there. AP – often written PEN elsewhere – means extra time or normal time ended level and a penalty shoot-out decided the winner; the match score stays a draw and the shoot-out score is shown on a separate line.
What does 90+5' mean?
It is the fifth minute of added time at the end of the second half. The number after the plus sign counts the minutes the referee has added for stoppages.
Is a postponed match the same as a cancelled one?
No. A postponed match is expected to be played on another date. A cancelled match will not be played at all.
What is the difference between an interrupted and an abandoned match?
An interrupted match has been stopped but may still resume. An abandoned match has been ended by the referee before full time and did not resume that day; the competition's rules then decide whether it is replayed, completed later or settled in another way.
Why does a finished match show "Awarded"?
Because the result was fixed by a decision of the competition's bodies, such as a forfeit or a disciplinary ruling, and not by what happened on the pitch.