Football betting rules at Zemen Bet
These Zemen Bet football betting rules explain how football bet settlement works, including normal time, extra time, penalties and interrupted matches. They help adult players in Ethiopia understand what a selection covers before placing a bet.
Zemen Bet aims to settle football bets according to published market rules and official event data. Always check the market name, covered playing period, match status and any special conditions in your bet slip. Where this general guide differs from a specific market, the published conditions for that market take priority, subject to the applicable Terms and Conditions.
A won bet meets the selection’s conditions; a lost bet does not. A void bet is treated as invalid for settlement, normally returning the stake on a single bet. A cancelled bet may be treated as void under the applicable rules. For an accumulator, check how a void selection affects the remaining bet.
Standard settlement time: 90 minutes
For most football markets, settlement covers 90 minutes plus referee-added stoppage time. Stoppage time, also called added time, compensates for interruptions within each half. It is not extra time.
Unless the market states otherwise, these markets normally exclude extra time and penalty shootouts:
- Match Result / 1X2: home win, draw or away win.
- Double Chance: two of the three possible match results.
- Total Goals: goals scored within the covered period.
- Handicap: the result after applying the stated goal adjustment.
- Both Teams to Score: whether each team scores within the covered period.
Do not assume that “full time” includes every stage of a knockout match. Check the stated settlement period, especially when extra time is possible.
When extra time counts
Extra time is an additional playing period used in some knockout matches after a draw. It counts only where the market conditions include it, such as a market labelled “including extra time”.
Markets such as To Qualify, Winner of Tie, Team to Lift the Trophy and Outright Winner concern progression or the eventual winner rather than the ordinary 90-minute result. Their rules determine whether extra time, shootouts or multiple legs are relevant.
For example, “Team A to qualify” may include extra time and penalties. “Team A to win — 1X2, 90 minutes” does not. An “including extra time” label alone should not be read as including a penalty shootout.
How penalties are settled
A penalty during play and a penalty shootout are different events. A penalty scored during normal time counts as a match goal for markets covering that period. A penalty scored during extra time counts only for markets covering extra time.
A shootout is a separate tie-breaking procedure. Under standard penalty shootout betting rules:
- Shootout results do not change a 90-minute Match Result.
- Shootout goals are not added to ordinary Total Goals markets.
- The shootout winner may determine qualification, trophy or outright selections where their rules provide for it.
Cancelled, postponed and abandoned matches
The outcome depends on the event status, the market and Zemen Bet’s published completion deadline. Do not assume that every interrupted match produces an automatic refund.
Completion deadline: [Insert the compliance-approved postponement and resumption deadline, including its starting point and any competition-specific exceptions, before publication.]
- Cancelled before kick-off: bets may be void if the event will not take place, subject to the cancellation rules.
- Postponed before kick-off: bets may remain valid if the match is played within the applicable deadline; otherwise, they may be void.
- Abandoned after kick-off: settlement depends on the abandonment rules. A market whose outcome was already unconditionally determined may be treated differently from an unresolved market.
- Resumed later: check whether the original bets remain valid and whether the resumed match is treated as the same event. A replay from the beginning is not necessarily a continuation.
- Result changed after the final whistle: later corrections, disciplinary decisions or awarded results are handled under the result-correction policy, not automatically applied to every bet.
- Incorrect event details: an incorrect date, team or market description may require review under the error rules. Such errors do not guarantee either settlement or a refund.
Where a bet is void, a single-bet stake is normally returned. The treatment of accumulator selections, promotional stakes and already-decided markets must follow the relevant published conditions.
Live football betting settlement
In live football betting, prices and market availability can change within seconds. A submitted bet may face an acceptance delay or be rejected before confirmation. Submitting a selection does not by itself mean the bet has been accepted.
A goal, red card, VAR review, penalty decision or dangerous attack may cause an odds change or market suspension—a temporary pause in betting. An unconfirmed bet may remain pending, require acceptance of a revised price or be rejected under the acceptance rules.
Scores, clocks and graphics can be delayed. Settlement depends on confirmed event data, not solely on the display visible when you submitted the bet. When using Zemen Bet live, check the accepted bet record.
Odds changes and bet confirmation
Odds show the price of a selection. The accepted price is the one recorded in the confirmed bet, subject to the published error provisions.
If odds change before acceptance, the system may offer a new price, apply your selected odds-change setting where supported, or reject the request. Acceptance is not guaranteed. Check your selection, stake, market period and price before confirming, especially during live football.
An accepted bet is not normally repriced simply because market odds move later. Apparent pricing or technical errors require separate review under the applicable rules.
VAR, official data and result corrections
VAR, the video assistant referee system, can lead to a goal being disallowed or a penalty or card decision being changed. Markets may be suspended while a decision is checked, and settlement may wait for confirmed data.
If an official source corrects event data after settlement, any adjustment must follow the Terms and Conditions, including applicable correction limits. A later disciplinary ruling does not necessarily change a previously settled bet.
For a disputed result, keep the bet reference, market name, accepted odds and relevant event details. Use Contact Us to request a review rather than relying on a live scoreboard alone.
Player, cards and corners markets
- Cards: check whether the market includes substitutes, bench personnel or coaches, and how second yellow cards and red cards are counted.
- Corners: check whether a corner must be officially awarded and taken to count. Do not assume that a corner awarded just before the final whistle qualifies.
- Player participation: a non-participating player’s selection may be void, but starting-player and substitute requirements vary by market.
- Player goals: own goals are normally excluded from the credited player’s goalscorer total unless the rules state otherwise.
Check the specific market rules before placing a bet, including the covered period and the data used for settlement.
Examples of football bet settlement
| Scenario | Settlement |
|---|---|
| The score is 1–1 after 90 minutes and stoppage time. Team A wins in extra time. | A 90-minute 1X2 bet on Team A loses; the covered result was a draw. |
| The match is 0–0 after normal time. Team B later wins a shootout. | A 90-minute Total Goals Over 0.5 bet loses. Shootout goals are excluded. |
| The match is cancelled before kick-off and the applicable rule requires voiding. | The single bet is void and its stake is returned under that rule. |
| A live bet is submitted during a VAR review. | It may remain pending, require a revised price or be rejected. Check confirmation. |
| Team A qualifies after a shootout. | A To Qualify bet on Team A wins if the market includes that qualification outcome. |
Responsible football betting
Football betting should be entertainment, not a way to earn income. Set a budget you can afford to lose and avoid chasing losses. For information about limits, breaks, self-exclusion and support, visit Responsible Gaming.
Betting is for eligible adults only. Check the Age Restriction Policy before opening or using an account.
Related Zemen Bet pages
Author: Tamirat Hailu
Tamirat compares Ethiopia-facing sportsbooks using a transparent scoring framework. He considers regulatory clarity, payments, mobile usability, betting products, support, promotions, and responsible-gambling tools. Scores are explained with evidence and remain independent of affiliate commissions, sponsorships, or brand requests.