Home »
Misc »
How long are playoff basketball games
How long are playoff basketball games
How Long Are NBA Games on Average in 2021/22?
An NBA game lasts for 48 minutes divided into 4 quarters. But of course that doesn’t tell us a lot about how much time it actually takes to play these 48 minutes of net play time.
I found a way to export the game data from nba.com starting from the 2015/16 season and took a closer look at actual average NBA game length. These are the results:
Average NBA Game Length
Chart 1: Average Game Length from 2015/16 – 2021/22
Average Length of Game
2016/20172017/20182018/20192019/20202020/20212021/2022Season0m30m1h0m1h40m2h0m2h40mGame Duration
| Season | Average Length | Median Length |
|---|
| 2016/2017 | 2h24m | 2h24m |
| 2017/2018 | 2h21m | 2h20m |
| 2018/2019 | 2h22m | 2h22m |
| 2019/2020 | 2h24m | 2h24m |
| 2020/2021 | 2h23m | 2h22m |
| 2021/2022 | 2h23m | 2h22m |
How long are NBA Games?
The average NBA game in the 2021/22 season lasted 2h 13min.![]()
To calculate this data, we looked at regular season games that didn’t go to overtime. You can see in the graph that average game length has not changed much from season to season since 2016/17 varying between 2h 12min and 2h 14 min.
Did the rule changes in 2021 make NBA games shorter?
Before the 2021/22 season the NBA introduced rule changes specifically designed to speed up the end of games. Teams are limited to two timeouts in the final three minutes of a game and automatic reviews on all out-of-bounds plays in the final two minutes were eliminated.
From the data we can see that these changes had no significant impact on game length. The average duration of an NBA game actually increased by 1 minute!
To dig a little further I took a look at close games that were decided by a margin of less than 5 points.
Games decided by 5 points or less during the 2021/22 season were on average 137.9 minutes long compared to 137.3 during the previous five seasons.
So even close games are not significantly shorter on average because of the new rule changes.
Chart 2: Distribution of Length of NBA Games
# of games with specific duration
1h59m2h24m2h49m3h29mSeason090180270360# of games
This bar chart shows game duration (including OT games) of regular season games from 2016 to 2022.
We can see that the most common game length is 2h 12min. Almost 60% of all games take between 2h 5min and 2h 20min.
Close NBA Games Are Longer
Chart 3: Average Duration of NBA Games by Final Score Difference
Average Length of Game
0-55-1010-1515-2020-2525-3030-3535-40Difference Final Score2h0m2h5m2h20m2h25m2h30mGame Duration
| Difference Final Score | Average Length |
|---|
| 0-5 points | 2h28m |
| 5-10 points | 2h25m |
| 10-15 points | 2h22m |
| 15-20 points | 2h20m |
| 20-25 points | 2h9m |
| 25-30 points | 2h9m |
| 30-35 points | 2h8m |
| 35-40 points | 2h6m |
We can see from the chart that there is a clear correlation between how close a game is and how long it is.
Games that are decided by 5 points or less are on average 2h 18min long, while blowouts decided by 30 points or more are more than 10 minutes shorter.
There are at least two reasons for that:
- In close games coaches will make sure to take all timeouts to draw up plays or make situational substitutions
- Intentional fouling at the end of close games draws out the length of games
Nationally Televised NBA Games Are Longer
Chart 4: Average Duration of Nationally Televised Games vs Local Games
Length of National TV Games
Length of Local TV Games
2016/20172017/20182018/20192019/20202020/20212021/2022Season0m30m1h0m1h40m2h0m2h40mGame Duration
| Season | National Games | Local Games |
|---|
| 2016/2017 | 2h30m | 2h25m |
| 2017/2018 | 2h25m | 2h21m |
| 2018/2019 | 2h27m | 2h23m |
| 2019/2020 | 2h31m | 2h24m |
| 2020/2021 | 2h28m | 2h22m |
| 2021/2022 | 2h28m | 2h23m |
The average nationally televised game is about 2h 18min long while the average locally televised basketball game is around 2h 13min long.
Nationally televised games are on average 5 minutes longer because the length of timeouts is increased for additional commercials.
Playoff NBA Games Are Longer
Chart 5: Average Duration of Playoff Games vs Regular Season Games
Length of Regular Season
Length of Playoff Games
2016/20172017/20182018/20192019/20202020/2021Season0m30m1h0m1h40m2h0m2h40mGame Duration
| Season | Regular Season Games | Playoff Games |
|---|
| 2016/2017 | 2h24m | 2h37m |
| 2017/2018 | 2h21m | 2h33m |
| 2018/2019 | 2h22m | 2h35m |
| 2019/2020 | 2h24m | 2h36m |
| 2020/2021 | 2h23m | 2h36m |
The average playoff NBA game (without OT games) is around 2h 25min long. That’s around 12 minutes longer than an average regular season game.
The added length is due to longer timeouts for added commercials and due to the fact that games are generally closer and therefore take longer because of more timeouts and intentional fouling.
Overtime Adds Around 20 Minutes per OT
Chart 6: Average Duration of Overtime Games
Average Length of Game
Regulation1 OT2 OT3 OTType of Game2h0m2h30m2h50m3h4mGame Duration
| Type of Game | Average Duration | # of games |
|---|
| Regulation | 2h23m | 6354 |
| 1 OT | 2h45m | 316 |
| 2 OT | 2h55m | 35 |
| 3 OT | 3h4m | 5 |
Games with one overtime usually last around 2h 35min (22 minutes longer than regulation games) and 2OT games are around 2h 55min long (another 20 minutes longer).
Games with 3 OT’s are very rare and took on average 3h 3min.
Anything Else?
Are you interested in any other statistics around NBA game length? I have all the data, so ask me in the comments and I’ll add it to the article!
How Long Is a NBA Game?
Scotttfujita.
com is an informative blog for readers. The products in the article contain affiliate marketing links. We may receive a small commission when you make purchases through our links. You do not need to pay any additional fees for us. See our full disclosures here
Basketball is one of the hottest and most anticipated sports on the planet. However, newbies may not be sure about NBA game length. So, how long is a basketball game?
An average NBA game time usually lasts between 2 and 2.5 hours. However, that is not an exact number for all leagues or associations.
Scott Fujita will tell you the duration of specific basketball matches according to NBA, FIBA, NCAA, or NFHS rules.
An NBA game usually lasts between 2 and 2.5 hours.
Contents
How Long Is An NBA Game?A typical NBA game usually lasts between 2 and 2.5 hours. However, that is not an exact number for all leagues or associations.
As we also mentioned above, basketball game time will vary from league to league.
In the National Basketball Association (NBA), each period will be 12 minutes. Total playing time will be up to 48 minutes for the fourth-quarter game. The overtime period lasts for 5 minutes in a NBA game.
View more:
- How long is a college basketball game
- How long is halftime in NBA
- How long is a basketball court
Half time between 2nd and 3rd periods is 15 minutes. However, this is only theoretical time. Many factors make the time of an NBA match stretch to even 2 hours. It is a bit longer than the FIFA games.
Basketball game time is often longer because of commercial breaks.
How Long Are Basketball Games IN FIBA?According to The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules, a game will have four quarters. How many minutes is a quarter in basketball in FIBA? Each quarter lasts 10 minutes, and the total basketball match will be 40 minutes.
Compared to NBA quarter length, FIBA games have shorter quarters.
In addition, there are additional regulations on the rest time between quarters. So, how long is a quarter in basketball games?
- Basketball teams will have about 20 minutes to prepare before the game begins.
- The halftime between the first half and second half is 2 minutes.
- The half time between the 2nd and 3rd quarters is 15 minutes. The two teams need time to switch pitches and proceed to the next quarters.
- The half time between the 3rd and 4th quarters is 2 minutes.
- The time between the extra quarters is 2 minutes.
Overtime periods take place when both teams play all four quarters but still haven’t found a winner. If the team scores more goals in the first extra time, that team wins. At this point, the game will end.
Conversely, if the first overtime does not decide the winner, both teams will continue to play in the subsequent overtime.
The halftime of FIBA games will start when the game clock sounds to announce the end of the half.
Each FIBA basketball quarter lasts 10 minutes.
How Long Does a Basketball Game Last in NCAA Rule?NCAA means the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
College basketball games’ time is two halves of 20 minutes each. The total game time is about 2 hours 10 minutes. The half time between halves of the college games is 15 minutes. The overtime of a college basketball game is 5 minutes.
How Long Is a High School Basketball Game?The NFHS is the organization that regulates the playing time of high school basketball games. Accordingly, high school games have four quarters. Each basketball quarter lasted eight minutes. The halftime is 10 minutes.
What Is the Longest NBA Game?The longest NBA game in history happened in the 1951 season. It was a fiery encounter between the Rochester Royals and the Indianapolis Olympians at Edgerton Park Arena.
There are so many overtime periods that the actual game time is up to 78 minutes. That year, the Indianapolis Olympians excellently won 75-73 against the Royals. The match lasted six quarters instead of the usual four. It is also one of the Guinness World Records.
Besides, we can mention the longest college basketball game in 1981. This match took place with the participation of two teams, the Bradley Braves, and the Cincinnati Bearcats.
The victory went to 75 minutes. It was just three minutes shorter than the 1951 match between the Olympians and the Royals mentioned above.
Not stopping there, this 1981 match broke another record. That’s the longest player on the field in a basketball game.
Bradley center Donald Reese and Cincinnati guard Bobby Austin played on the field for 73 minutes. No one has overcome this to this day.
You can refer to some long NBA games via this video.
How Do NBA Games Take Place?Twenty minutes before the match, the coaches of both teams will register the list of players. That list includes jersey numbers, names of players, captains, leading coaches, assistants.
At that time, the coach appoints five players on the official list and confirms the score sheet. The home team will have the right to choose the basket and bench and then notify the main referee.
The referee blows the whistle, and the game starts. Two teams stand on the field to prepare. The ball is then “thrown” high by the referee in the circle in the center of the area. When any player touches the ball, then the timed game is “started.”
NBA games
When Does Clock Stop?The time of each quarter ends when the referee blows the whistle to end the quarter.
The referee will stop the clock after the 4th quarter if there is a score difference.
There was an infraction during play, but the clock signaled the end of the period. How will the referee handle it? The player will take the free throw immediately afterward, before halftime.
The clock will stop during the time of the two teams to temporarily break and make substitutions. It also happens when a player commits a foul, and the ball goes out of the playing area.
A free throw occurs, which could lead to one, two, or even three free throws.
Clock stoppages happen when one team calls one timeout. Each NBA club has 60 seconds in the first timeout and a shorter time in the second timeout. The second timeouts depend on whether the NBA match is “nationally televised” or not.
Frequently Asked QuestionsBelow are some of the common questions that beginners have about the length of basketball games.
1. How long do basketball games last for youth leagues?A youth basketball game often lasts about one hour.
Most youth leagues games include two halves. The average length is 20 minutes for each half of the youth games.
2. How long is a women’s game in college basketball?Women’s games often last two hours. There are four quarters, and each lasts 10 minutes.
3. Why do playoff games usually last longer than regular-season games?A playoff game takes longer than a regular-season game due to its longer commercial breaks.
Final ThoughtsNow you have general knowledge regarding the topic “how long are NBA games.” We will keep you updated with the latest sports news about basketball and other sports on Scott Fujita. Thank you for reading!
NBAForm.ru » How many minutes does a basketball game last?
The popularity of basketball on television, and in general, is easily explained, because it is one of the most spectacular games in the history of mankind. For the National Basketball Association (NBA), this observation is doubly true, since in the States basketball has been brought to a qualitatively different level.
Here, even the game system is built and adjusted in such a way as to give the viewer the opportunity to enjoy the maximum amount of emotions, experiences and sharp moments.
How long does the basketball game last ?
In the NBA, what is called "net" game time is 4 quarters of 12 minutes, that is, 48 minutes. At first glance, this is not enough, because the game in other popular sports takes longer: a football match lasts 90 minutes - 2 halves of 45 minutes, hockey - 3 periods of 20 minutes, etc.
But there is a certain trick here - the actual, "dirty" time of the game, includes a huge number of pauses that fill the time between the game segments. Plus, do not forget about the breaks between quarters, they also last from 2 minutes between the first and second, and third or fourth quarters, up to a 15-minute "big" break in the middle of the match.
According to NBA statistics, an average basketball game lasts about 135-140 minutes.
This is true for the regular season, in the playoffs, as a rule, matches are longer.
In European basketball, the duration of the match is shorter - four quarters of 10 minutes, that is, 40 minutes of regular time.
Also, not every game ends in the allotted time: according to the rules, if the teams play a draw in regular time, a 5-minute overtime is assigned, when the teams must necessarily determine the winner. If it is not possible to do this in the first, another one is appointed, then, if necessary, another and another, until one of the squads wins. According to the rules of basketball, the winner must be determined.
The longest game in NBA history took place on January 6, 1951. The Indianapolis Olympians played the Rochester Royals in regular time and then six more overtimes. By modern basketball standards, the score for 78 minutes of playing time is simply ridiculous - 75:73. The explanation for this is that at that time there was no time limit for the attack (now it has 24 seconds, and the ring must be touched, or the ball is passed to the opponent), and the opponents simply did not want to attack so as not to risk it.
In fact, for a fan who attends a match live at the stadium, it can last from 2.5 to 5-6 hours. Therefore, for a full-fledged trip to basketball, it is worth allocating a whole day.
Basketball is full of attacks, on average they last from 5 to 24 seconds, and almost every one ends with some kind of active effective action - a throw, a foul, an interception. This is very popular with the audience, and keeps them in suspense. Tall players throw spectacular shots from above, snipers attack the basket from afar, or in beautiful passes - the variability of attack in basketball is very high.
That's why TV companies love basketball so much, it's great in terms of advertising in the breaks. He has great ratings, often no worse than American football or baseball, the undisputed leaders of the US sports media market.
#mikegoldenstate #goldenstatewarriors #gsw #gsw #lakers #lakers #houstonrockets #rockets #OKC #clippers
How long is a quarter in basketball (NBA, FIBA).
Number of halves in a game
Home / All sports / How long is a quarter in basketball (NBA, FIBA). Number of halves in the game
12/22/2018 All sports Leave a comment 103,767 Views
Share with friends
It so happened that some of the rules of playing basketball in Europe and North America have differences, and this primarily concerns the duration of the periods. The number of quarters in FIBA and NBA matches is the same, however, Americans, for whom basketball is considered one of the most popular sports, like to enjoy this wonderful game longer, therefore, in their rules, they increased the duration of each half by two minutes (compared to the International Federation of basketball)
Interesting fact: In the early days of basketball there were only 13 rules, now there are more than 200.
How many periods are there in a basketball game?
A basketball game consists of 4 quarters (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th) , this applies to both NBA and FIBA.
Conventionally, the 1st and 2nd periods are the first half of the match, and the 3rd and 4th are the second. Between each quarter there is a two-minute break, but between the second and third half, the duration of the break is as much as 15 minutes.
According to the officially established rules, there can be no draw in basketball. If after 4 periods the score is equal, another quarter is played lasting 5 minutes. The number of extra periods is not limited, there may be several such five-minute periods until the winning team is determined.
How long is a quarter in basketball (NBA and FIBA)?
In Europe, tournaments held under the auspices of FIBA, the duration of each game is 40 minutes, that is, each quarter lasts 10 minutes .
In the United States of America, where the ruling organization in basketball is the NBA, the duration of the match is 48 minutes, that is, the time of each period is not 10, but 12 minutes. It turns out that in the USA, due to these two minutes added to each quarter, advertisers have more time to show their products to the viewer (the longer the viewer is at the TV screens, the more money the clubs earn on advertising).
That is why the NBA is the richest and most popular basketball league on the planet.
Many people are also interested in how long a basketball game lasts in Europe and the USA. In general, taking into account the duration of all quarters, half-time intervals and dead ball situations (eg fouls, free throws and other stoppages), the total duration of the match is 2-3 hours.
The average regular season game in the NBA is 137 minutes.
The duration of basketball matches in the Olympic Games and competitions under the auspices of FIBA is shorter than in US tournaments, since the same match duration is 8 minutes shorter. FIBA also has fewer timeouts. In the NBA, both teams get 14 timeouts per game for two, with 2 timeouts in each period being mandatory (so-called television timeouts). FIBA and the Olympic Games have 5 timeouts, and teams may not necessarily use them.
Do you know how long the longest basketball game lasted?
The record for the length of a basketball game was recorded in 2006 in the United States of America.
