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How long are college basketball halves
Why Does NCAA Have Two Halves While NBA Has Four Quarters?
There is no doubt that the NBA and NCAA are two different organizations. College basketball has many quirky rules that the NBA does not follow, while the NBA enforces a few restrictions that do not fly in college.
While there are many discrepancies in each league, the most obvious is the fact that professional basketball is played in four quarters while college is played across two halves. In order to understand why that is, we must dive into the history of both sports, what their rules look like, and how they each developed.
Humble Beginnings
At the end of the day, the NBA and NCAA use time in roughly the same way. The NBA has four 12 minute quarters (48 minutes in total) and the NCAA goes with two 20-minute halves (40 minutes in total). FIBA also uses four 10 minutes quarters to perfectly match the NCAA’s total time.
So, going back to the question at hand, why does that difference exist?
The answer lies in basketball’s original ruleset. Dr. James Naismith first created the sport we all know and love back in 1891 when challenged to come up with an indoor athletic competition. To give basketball structure, he came up with 13 basic rules for the game.
Though many of the rules are quite interesting (such as if a team fouled their opponent three times in a row the other team would get free points) the most important one for the purposes of this article is number 12. It reads, “the time shall be two fifteen-minute halves, with five-minute rest in between.”
That, of course, gives us the basic structure of what college uses today. There are two halves, and each of them is separated by a quick halftime. A thirty-minute game is quite short, and that helps explain the other changes the game went through overtime.
A Century of Change
It did not take long for people to realize that two fifteen-minute halves were not enough time for a proper game. The shorter periods resulted in low scores and did not provide enough exercise for the players.
As such, in 1905 the official rules changed to extend the time to two twenty minutes halves with a 10-minute break in between them. Sound familiar? That is the same format the NCAA still uses to this day.
However, the two half system did not stick for that long. In 1951 the game went through a huge change when the league decided to split it up into four 10-minute quarters. This rule was for both college basketball and the NBA.
While that change stuck in professional basketball, it did not hold in college. In fact, the four-quarter system was only around for three short years in the NCAA. In 1954 college basketball went back to playing in halves while the NBA stayed with the quarter system. That created a break that still lasts to this day.
An Unsure Shift
The change from halves to quarters happened a long time ago. So long ago that few people know why the split occurred. Some people believe colleges favor the two halves because it is how the first rules were put in place, while others think it was to separate themselves from other leagues.
One of the leading theories is that it makes the game much more competitive. Two long halves tend to create closer games than four separate quarters. Close games not only lead to more excitement, but they can also lead to upsets. Those drive viewership for big tournaments like March Madness.
Two halves also create less stopping time, which gives the game a steady pace and keeps everything moving along. The more flow that exists, the better the games are to watch.
While none of these theories have been absolutely proven one way or another, they do help suggest why one league goes with two halves and one goes with four quarters.
Both work. It just comes down to preference.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
College basketball has many rules that separate it from the NBA. The two halves are the most distinct of such regulations. Though no one is exactly sure why they choose to stand on their own, there are many theories that could explain it.
Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that the two 20-minute chunks have become a staple of the NCAA and will continue to be that way for the foreseeable future. Though there has been some talk of switching over to quarters, nothing is quite in place just yet.
How Long Is A College Basketball Game? NCAA Game Time
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Basketball games are always attention-grabbing events at any level. Fans are not only interested in professional tournaments but also eager for college basketball.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the organizer of the tournament for young basketball players. Depending on the level of the match, the time will vary.
How long is a college basketball game? The total game time is about 2 hours 10 minutes.
A college basketball game takes place in two halves of 20 minutes each. The half-time interval for NCAA games is 15 minutes. The college basketball overtime is 5 minutes.
If you are still curious about the durations of different tournaments, let’s find out with Scott Fujita in this article.
Men’s college basketball game
Contents
How Long Is A College Basketball Game On TV?
With just two 20-minute halves each and a 15-minute break, the standard length of a college basketball game should be 55 minutes.
However, the total length of the match when broadcast on television is often much longer than that. Most NCAA matches last for 2 hours and 10 minutes.
With that total, we have 40 minutes for actual play, two 30-second timeouts for each team, and three overall timeouts. The total time is 48 minutes.
One exciting thing you should note is that college games are usually 8 minutes less long than an NBA game. Even so, the average real-time NCAA match duration is less than a few minutes. The number of timeouts and the frequency with which teams take the free throws during and after college basketball games are the main contributors to this problem.
Unlike NBA games, men’s college basketball games have no quarters. It means fouls will last for an inning and not much reset time. The more fouls a player commits, the longer the game lasts and increases the game’s length.
Each men’s college basketball team will have four timeouts in a basketball game. Three of them lasted 30 seconds, and only one timeout lasted 60 seconds.
They had to use a timeout in the first half, or they would have missed it. The second half stipulates that each team can stop the game only three times.
In addition to timeouts and halftime breaks, four sets of TV waiting times are scheduled for each round. Their name is stoppage and appears at 16, 12, 8, and 4 of each game. If there is no stoppage at one of these four milestones, it will be ignored.
View more:
How long is halftime in NBA
How long is a basketball court
How long is a NBA game
How Long Will A Women’s College Basketball Game Last?
Unlike a men’s college basketball game, women’s matches usually last for 2 hours with four 10-minute quarters.
Women’s basketball games used to last as long as men’s. In 2015, new regulations changed the format of the game. The use of four quarters is entirely consistent with other major leagues. These matches also include a break between the 2nd and 3rd half.
During the game, each team is given about four timeouts, similar to the men’s game. Even so, the women’s groups have no limit on when they can use them.
The Longest NCAA Basketball Games Of All Time
In addition to the longest NBA game, some people are curious about the longest NCAA game in history. Let’s find out in this section.
Bradley Vs. Cincinnati
Bradley Vs. Cincinnati (1981)
The basketball match between Bradley and Cincinnati on December 21, 1981, was the longest NCAA match. After six innings, the two teams still kept the score even. It was only in the 7th extra time that Cincinnati gained the upper hand over Bradley.
This match lasts for about 4 hours, from 19:30 to 11:20. Interestingly, the score of this match was relatively low, 75-73.
Connecticut Vs. Syracuse (2009)
On March 12, 2009, Connecticut faced Syracuse in a match that lasted until sixth overtime in the quarterfinals of the Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Syracuse was the winning team with a score of 127-117. The match lasted a total of 3 hours and 46 minutes. You can watch the footage of this college game here.
How Long Is An NBA Game?
A typical NBA game usually lasts from 2 to 2.5 hours. This number is not fixed because many factors can directly affect the time of the match.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) rules each round of an NBA basketball game to be about 12 minutes. With four games, the total playing time will be up to 48 minutes. The extra time of these matches lasted 5 minutes.
There will be a 15-minute break time between the 2nd and 3rd rounds, but they are only theoretical. Some issues will cause a basketball game to last longer than expected, up to about 2 hours in actual play. Compared to FIFA games, these matches last longer.
How Long Will The FIBA Games Take Place?
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) stipulates that each basketball game will have four quarters. With a total playing time of 40 minutes, each basketball quarter will last 10 minutes. We can see that the duration of FIBA basketball games is slightly shorter than that of NBA games.
This tournament also sets the following rules on break time:
Each team is given 20 minutes to prepare before the start of the competition
There will be a short break between the first and second half, lasting 2 minutes.
In order for both teams to have time to change the pitch and move on to the next half, the break between the 2nd and 3rd half is 15 minutes.
The break between the 3rd and 4th quarters is 2 minutes.
Extra time will have a break of 2 minutes.
If both teams play four quarters but still don’t find a winner, they go into overtime periods. The team with the most points in the first extra-time wins.
In the opposite case, the two teams will continue to play in the following extra time.
When the FIBA alarm clock goes off to end the round, the halftime break will begin.
How Long Does A High School Basketball Game Last?
High school basketball game
According to NFHS regulations, high school basketball games will consist of four quarters. Each round will last 8 minutes, with a 10-minute break in between.
Usually, people don’t use shot clocks in high school games. However, there is still a rule that mercifully turns the game clock into a running clock if a team leads by a specified number of points in the second half. Only a few states apply this rule.
Each state has different regulations, so there will be other criteria for regulating the time and managing clocks.
A junior high basketball game lasts shorter at 1 hour 30 minutes. These matches also cover four quarters with 6 minutes each quarter. In some states, the game time for each quarter can be as long as 8 minutes.
The break is 10 minutes long, and there is usually no shot clock for junior high basketball games. If the allotted time runs out and the two teams still tie, there will be an extra time of 5 minutes.
How Long Does A Youth Basketball Game Last?
Youth basketball games will last for about an hour. These matches usually consist of 2 halves of 20 minutes each. Unlike other leagues, the youth basketball game uses a running clock. This type of clock will not stop except for halftime breaks and timeouts.
The interval between sets is about 10 minutes. Also, when a team calls for timeouts, the match time will be extended by 4 minutes. With the primary audience being children, we have to consider a period to settle down and hold their positions.
Youth basketball games usually do not have over time, so that the score can be a tie in some situations.
Final Thoughts
On average, how long is a basketball game? It will be challenging to give a general answer as the time of each match will vary based on the tournament rules. A playoff game also usually lasts longer than a regular-season one because of the longer promotional period.
A college basketball game lasts from 1.5 hours to more than 2 hours, depending on many factors. Knowing about the playing time will make it easier for the audience to observe and follow the game.
How long is a college basketball game? Game Time NCAA
Basketball games are always an attraction at every level. Fans are interested not only in professional tournaments, but also in student basketball.
The Junior Basketball Tournament is organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The time depends on the level of the match.
How long is a college basketball game ? The total playing time is about 2 hours 10 minutes.
A college basketball game consists of two halves of 20 minutes each. The halftime interval for NCAA games is 15 minutes. Overtime in college basketball is 5 minutes.
If you're still wondering about the duration of different tournaments, let's find out with Scott Fujita in this article.
Men's college basketball game
How long is a college basketball game on TV?
With a total of two halves of 20 minutes each and a 15-minute break, a standard college basketball game should be 55 minutes long.
However, the total length of a TV match is often much longer. longer than that. Most NCAA matches last 2 hours and 10 minutes.
With that in mind, we have 40 minutes for the actual game, two 30 second timeouts for each team and three total timeouts. Total time 48 minutes.
One exciting thing you should note is that college games are typically 8 minutes shorter than NBA games. Despite this, the average length of live NCAA matches is less than a few minutes. The number of time-outs and the frequency with which teams shoot free throws during and after college basketball games are major causes of this problem.
Unlike NBA games, there are no quarters in men's college basketball games. . This means fouls will last an inning and not much time to reset. The more fouls a player commits, the longer the game lasts and the length of the game increases.
Each men's college basketball team will have four time-outs in a basketball game. Three of them lasted 30 seconds and only one timeout lasted 60 seconds.
They should have used a time-out in the first half, otherwise they would have conceded. The second half provides that each team can only stop the game three times.
In addition to the time-outs and half-times, four sets of TV waiting times are scheduled for each round. Their name "stop" appears on 16, 12, 8 and 4 in every game. If there is no stop at one of these four stages, it will be ignored.
Read more:
How long is the NBA break
How long is the basketball court
How long is an NBA game
How long will the women's college basketball game last?
Unlike a men's college basketball game, women's games typically last 2 hours with four 10-minute quarters.
Women's basketball games used to last as long as men's. In 2015, new rules changed the format of the game. The use of four quarters is entirely in line with other major leagues. These matches also include a break between the 2nd and 3rd half.
During the game, each team is allowed about four time-outs, similar to the men's game. Despite this, there are no restrictions on when women's groups can use them.
Longest NCAA basketball games of all time
In addition to the longest NBA game, some people are curious about the longest NCAA game in history. Let's find out in this section.
Bradley Vs. Cincinnati
Bradley vs. Cincinnati (1981)
The basketball game between Bradley and Cincinnati on December 21, 1981 was the longest NCAA game. After six innings, both teams were tied. It wasn't until the 7th overtime that Cincinnati got the better of Bradley.
This match lasts about 4 hours, from 19:30 to 11:20. Interestingly, the score in this match was relatively low, 75-73.
Connecticut Vs. Syracuse (2009)
On March 12, 2009, Connecticut faced Syracuse in a game that went to the sixth overtime in the quarterfinals of the Big East Men's Basketball Tournament.
Syracuse were the winning team with a score of 127-117. The match lasted a total of 3 hours and 46 minutes. You can watch a recording of this college game here.
How long is an NBA game?
A typical NBA game usually lasts 2 to 2.5 hours. . This number is not fixed as many factors can directly affect match times.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) specifies that each round of an NBA basketball game must be approximately 12 minutes long. With four games, the total playing time will be up to 48 minutes. Extra time of these matches lasted 5 minutes.
There will be a 15-minute break between rounds 2 and 3, but this is only theoretical. Some issues can cause a basketball game to last longer than expected, up to about 2 hours in a real game. Compared to FIFA games, these matches last longer.
How long will FIBA games last?
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) stipulates that each basketball game will consist of four quarters. With a total playing time of 40 minutes, each basketball quarter will last 10 minutes. We see that the duration of FIBA basketball games is slightly shorter than the duration of NBA games.
This tournament also establishes the following break rules:
Each team is given 20 minutes to prepare before the start of the competition
There will be a short break of 2 minutes between the first and second half.
In order for both teams to change the field and proceed to the next half, the break between the 2nd and 3rd half is 15 minutes.
Break between the 3rd and 4th quarters - 2 minutes.
There will be a break of 2 minutes in extra time.
If both teams play four quarters without finding a winner, they will go to extra time. The team with the most points in the first overtime wins.
Otherwise, the two teams will continue to play in the next extra time.
When the FIBA end-of-round alarm goes off, the half-time break will begin.
How long is a high school basketball game?
High School Basketball Game
Under NFHS rules, a high school basketball game will have four quarters. Each round lasts 8 minutes with a 10 minute break in between.
People don't usually use clocks for school games. However, there is still a rule that graciously turns the game clock running if a team leads by a certain number of points in the second half. This rule only applies in a few states.
Each state has different rules, so there will be different criteria for time regulation and clock management.
Junior basketball game lasts less - 1 hour 30 minutes. These matches also span four quarters of 6 minutes each. In some states, the playing time for each quarter may be up to 8 minutes.
The break is 10 minutes long and junior basketball games usually don't have a shot clock. If the allotted time runs out and the two teams are still tied, 5 minutes will be added.
How long is a junior basketball game?
Youth basketball games will last about an hour. These matches usually consist of 2 halves of 20 minutes each. Unlike other leagues, running clocks are used in the youth basketball game. This type of clock does not stop except for halftimes and timeouts.
The interval between games is about 10 minutes. In addition, when a team requests a time-out, the match time is extended by 4 minutes. Since the main audience is children, we must take into account the period in order to calm down and hold our ground.
Youth basketball games don't usually have a long running time, so in some situations the score may be tied.
Closing thoughts
How long does a basketball game last on average? It will be difficult to give a general answer as the timing of each match will vary depending on the rules of the tournament. A playoff game also typically runs longer than a regular season game due to the longer promotional period.
A college basketball game lasts from 1.5 to more than 2 hours, depending on many factors. Knowing the playing time will make it easier for spectators to watch the game.
How long is a quarter in basketball (and why?)
Last updated: September 3, 2022 / author Sandeep Bhandari / Fact verified / 4 minutes
Exact answer: 10 minutes
Basketball is one of the most popular team sports in the world. Although the sport originated in America, it has spawned various international leagues, each with its own unique set of rules.
The NBA and FIBA are the most important associations in professional basketball today.
For each league, the game is played within an allotted period of time, known as hours. The clock runs when the ball is in play and stops for time-outs, fouls and free throws.
It also stops if the ball goes out of bounds. The clock restarts again when the player touches the ball on the court.
How long is a basketball quarter?
A typical basketball game consists of four quarters, each representing a phase of the game. The length of each quarter varies depending on the sports association.
Basketball rules are the same everywhere, but the clock may vary in each league. The total length of the game depends on the league.
A high school basketball game is 32 minutes long and each quarter is 8 minutes long. Professional The NBA game is longer, consisting of four 12-minute quarters.
The whole game lasts 48 minutes. The WNBA has the same time with 12-minute quarters.
In contrast, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has 10-minute quarters in each game. The NCAA men's college basketball game is not divided into four quarters, but into two halves.
Each half lasts 20 minutes.
Real time quarter may be longer than scheduled due to timeouts and failures. Timeouts are needed to give teams time to rest.
An NBA game allows six full timeouts, including one 20-second timeout in each half. Violations and injuries can also lead to additional breaks in the game.
Between each term there are small breaks of 2 minutes, and during the break there is a longer break of about 15 minutes.
Basketball games often receive an extra five minutes in the event of a tie with overtime extended until there is a clear winner. There are no restrictions on overtime work.
In general, a full basketball game usually lasts about two to three hours.
Basketball league
Length quarter
NBA
12 minutes 12 minutes
Fiba
10 minutes 10 minutes 10 minutes0239
High school basketball
8 minutes
Why is the basketball quarter so long?
International basketball consists of four quarters of 10 minutes with breaks after each quarter. Most professional basketball games outside the United States of America are played under FIBA rules.
However, in the NBA, the quarter is set to 12 minutes. This has always been the case, as the NBA believed that the 12-minute period was ideal for a spectator to enjoy a professional game.
NBA rules were originally based on college basketball. Student-level games consisted of two halves of 15-20 minutes each. The NBA agreed that the college game was too short for a paid game.
They created their own professional basketball identity by breaking the rules and setting up four 12-minute quarters.
The NBA and WNBA are the only leagues with 12-minute quarters. The Olympic Games and the Basketball World Cup follow FIBA rules, limiting them to 10-minute quarters.
However, the NBA constantly influences international basketball. In the future, FIBA may also introduce 12-minute quarters.
People often ask why the NBA doesn't have 15-minute quarters like the NFL does. However, an NFL game is three hours long and features different players on offense and defense.
They also only play once a week, unlike the NBA which allows them to follow this format. Three hours would be too long for a basketball game.
Conclusion
Slight differences in the hours of a basketball game have a significant impact on the game. The difference between a 10-minute quarter and a 12-minute quarter may not seem like much, but it adds up to 8 minutes in total.
Overtime affects scoring and the number of players allowed on the court.
Basketball is played at different levels. Each association has its own set of rules and regulations for professional play, each with its own rationale.
Each league has its own unique character and identity, but continues to influence each other.
Though there has been some talk of switching over to quarters, nothing is quite in place just yet.
The college basketball overtime is 5 minutes.
Interestingly, the score of this match was relatively low, 75-73.
With four games, the total playing time will be up to 48 minutes. The extra time of these matches lasted 5 minutes.
However, there is still a rule that mercifully turns the game clock into a running clock if a team leads by a specified number of points in the second half. Only a few states apply this rule.
Fans are interested not only in professional tournaments, but also in student basketball. 
longer than that. Most NCAA matches last 2 hours and 10 minutes. 
The second half provides that each team can only stop the game three times. 
With a total playing time of 40 minutes, each basketball quarter will last 10 minutes. We see that the duration of FIBA basketball games is slightly shorter than the duration of NBA games. 
If the allotted time runs out and the two teams are still tied, 5 minutes will be added. 
A playoff game also typically runs longer than a regular season game due to the longer promotional period. 
Most professional basketball games outside the United States of America are played under FIBA rules. 
However, an NFL game is three hours long and features different players on offense and defense. 
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