How long is the average high school basketball game

How Long Is a High School Basketball Game?

One of the most entertaining sporting events at the high school level is a basketball game. From the proximity of the spectators in the bleachers to the court, the pace of the entire event from warm-ups and game play, to the enthusiasm of the crowd makes a high school game a must. This is particularly the case if you have a family member participating in the game.

How long is a high school basketball game? The National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) states that all high school games will be at least 32 minutes, divided into four, eight-minute quarters. There is a 10-minute halftime intermission, a couple minutes between the first and second quarters and third and fourth quarters. The length of actual time in the gym for the game is extended further if there is overtime (4 minutes), or time outs (each team has three 60 second and two 30 second time outs).

A high school game can go by more quickly if either team is ahead by 30 points at any time during play, due to what is commonly known as the “mercy rule”. In this case the clock continues to run and only stops for a timeout or injured player. Should the trailing team cut the deficit to under 20, the clock will operate under normal rules.

Generally speaking, a high school game will run in the neighborhood of an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and 30 minutes. For those that want to enjoy the entire high school basketball experience, arrive around thirty minutes prior to schedule tip-off for pregame warmups. Also, many times the junior varsity game will be played prior to the varsity taking the floor, so arrive even early to catch some of that action.

How Long are Pro Basketball Games?

In comparison, the games at the high school level are significantly less time than NCAA, WNBA, NBA and FIBA. The FIBA is generally considered the world wide governing body in basketball. The top league in the world is acknowledged to be the NBA, which is played in four, 12-minute quarters for total game time of 48 minutes. While some international competition also has 48-minute games, many use 10-minute quarters for a 40-minute contest. Breaks between quarters vary between two and three minutes between the first and second quarters and between the third and fourth quarters. Halftime intermission is generally 15 minutes.

How Long is a Collge Basketball Game?

At the collegiate level, governed by the NCAA, the games are 40 minutes long, similar to many international games. The difference is there is only one break, at the end of the 20-minute half. The break time is similar to that of the professional game, around 15 minutes. Women’s professional leagues also play 40-minute games, as do the collegiate games with the same time intermission between halves.

What Adds to the Length of Any Basketball Game?

If you factor in the total time that the clock is stopped, and intermissions, a game will end up taking at least two hours. Many times the clock appears to be at a standstill late in games with multiple clock stoppages due to fouls, free throws, and timeouts. Therefore, 2 hours and 30 minutes is more likely the total time for a game. Add in significant extra time if a 5-minute playoff or more is needed.

The types of warmups you are likely to see include partner passes, free throws, layup lines, free for all shootarounds, mid-range jumpers, and the zig-zag warmup.

With partner passes, players will practice overhead, bounce, chest, and wrap-around passes generally from about ten feet away from a teammate. Take note of the players shooting free throws, generally two each with a couple teammates practicing boxing out and rebounding.

The zig-zag warmup drill is excellent for practicing defensive maneuverability, as well as ball handling. It’s also fun to watch the players execute this quick, athletic paced drill with one player handing the dribbling and one player maintaining defensive positioning.

Likely the oldest of the pregame drills and the first when stepping onto the court out of the locker room is the layup line. The team will separate into two lines, one around half court and the other on the baseline. The player at half court will drive and shoot the layup while a man underneath grabs the ball after the shot and passes to the next guy at half court.

Players will also take part in the mid-range jumper and a general shoot-around from anywhere on the court as the final warmup prior to starting the game.

All told, the entire high school varsity basketball experience from warmups until the final horn sounds is around two hours. It’s worth every minute for the avid basketball fan.

How Long Is a High School Basketball Game?

Are you planning to watch a high school basketball game live? If so, you have to be prepared to spend more than an hour watching the match. While the regulation time of a high school basketball game is less than an hour, many things happen during the game, which makes it longer.

How long is a high school basketball game? A typical high school basketball game lasts approximately 1.5 hours.

The base regulation time of a high school basketball game is about 42 minutes. There are four quarters. Each quarter is eight minutes which totals 32 minutes. Add a 10-minute halftime break, and you got a total of 42 minutes. Fouls, clock stoppages, and timeouts are some of the things that cause the total game time to stretch to about 1.5 hours or longer.

Read on to learn more about how long a high school basketball game lasts and the reason why some games take so long to finish.

A majority of basketball fans don’t mind the time when they watch their favorite team play. For them, the game is so absorbing that they don’t care how much time they spend watching. It’s just pure enjoyment, especially if your team wins. But it’s quite the reverse if your team loses.

The NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) decreed that high school basketball games should be at least 32 minutes long. A high school ball game is composed of four quarters with eight minutes each. So thIS totals 32 minutes.

However, you still have to consider the halftime break. The players need their breathers so they can get back fresh in the play for the second half. A break of 10 minutes between the second and third quarters is the official format. So, 32 minutes (four quarters) plus 10 minutes (halftime break) will give us a total of 42 minutes.

But that is only the regulation time. Many things happen during the game to stretch the 42 minutes to more than an hour, or even up to two hours.

How long are high school basketball games on average? As mentioned earlier, on average, high school basketball games range from one hour and a half to more than two hours. The length of time of these basketball games may greatly vary because of the different styles of play, the number of fouls called in the game, the level of competition, and many more.

Every basketball game must have a winner. If the score is tied at the end of regulation time, overtime will follow, and another five minutes are added to the game. But before overtime starts, some additional seconds or even minutes are spent for the preparation of referees, coaches, and players.

If the game’s score is still tied at the end of the first overtime, another overtime will follow. This course will go on until a team wins. It is not unusual to have 4-5 OTs in a high school basketball game. In fact, the most number of OTs on record is 13.

Television coverage of a high school basketball game will be even longer. Be prepared to spend more than two hours if you plan to watch your favorite high school basketball team on TV. Typically, TV hosts conduct pre- and post-game reviews with the players, basketball analysts, and so forth. Usually, the time for these reviews adds up on top of the actual game time.

The pre-game show usually begins 30 minutes before the game starts. Typically, the host will interview a basketball analyst to predict what could happen in the upcoming match.

The post-game show is usually a bit shorter and will consume approximately 10-15 minutes. Often, the hosts will interview the MVP of the game, as well as the leading player of the losing team. The analyst may also try to break down what happened in the just concluded match, including its implication on the respective teams’ forthcoming games.

You have to add the times allotted for the pre- and post-game shows to the actual time the game ended to arrive at the total time consumed by that particular game. Therefore, if the average game time is somewhere between one and a half hours to two hours, a high school basketball game on TV will take around two hours and 15 minutes to two hours and 45 minutes.

High school basketball playoff games are even longer than regular season ball games. On average, playoff games in high school ball games are 15-20 minutes longer than the regular games.

The reason is that in the playoffs, there are more free throws, more in-game and post-game reviews, more substitutions, more timeouts, etc. Therefore, prepare to spend at least more than two hours or even three hours or more if you plan to watch a high school basketball match on TV.

The clock is the most critical tool in a sports match, especially in a basketball game. How do they count the time in an ongoing game? As soon as the clock kicks in during a basketball match, it will continue running until one of the following things happen:

• A referee calls a foul
• A foul shooter is shooting his free throws
• A time out is called either by a coach or a referee
• The ball goes out of bound

As soon as the ball gets inbound and a player receives the ball, the clock kicks back in. The shot clock is activated, and the time countdown starts. There are states in the USA that do not require shot clocks. In US states that require shot clocks, they follow the 35-second shot clock used by the NCAA.

The shot clock is incorporated by some of the states to improve the game pace. Without it, the players tend to prolong their shots as part of their game strategy. If the ball hits the rim but does not go down the hole, the shot clock starts again at 35 seconds. However, if the ball does not hit the rim, the shot clock will continue to wind down.

If a player shoots a ball and sinks it in the dying minutes of the game, resulting in a tied score, overtime will follow. Unlike other sports, there is no tied game in basketball. Another five minutes will be added to the time clock. No matter how long a high school basketball game will take, there should always be a winner.

Timeouts are crucial for basketball teams. They use these breaks to strategize their plays in response to what is happening on the floor. These breaks also provide the players extra breathing time to rest and recover from the physicality of running to and fro.

In high school basketball, a team is allowed a maximum of five timeouts. The coach or any active player on the team can call for a timeout. Three of the five timeouts are called full timeouts, with each being 60 seconds. Two of the five timeouts are only 30 seconds each and can only be called at the start of the game.

Teams are allowed to use all their timeouts in just one quarter or save them up until the last quarter. If there is overtime, each team will have one full-timeout. Any unused timeouts during the regulation time will be carried over to the extension period.

To know how long high school games last, you need to know some factors that affect the length of a high school basketball game. Here is a list of all things that can happen during a ball game between two high school teams, including the usual time one basketball game lasts.

• Four Quarters – A high school basketball game is played in four quarters. How long is a quarter in high school basketball? Each quarter has eight minutes for the varsity level and 6-7 minutes for the junior varsity level.

• Halftime Break – During the game, there is a halftime break, which is 10 minutes long.

• Team Fouls – Five team fouls are allowed for every quarter. 

• Timeouts – Each team is allowed five timeouts per game. Three of these are full timeouts of 60 seconds each. The remaining two timeouts are 30 seconds each. A team could use all their timeouts in one quarter, or save and use them in the last quarter. There could be more timeouts in the last two minutes of the game, which will only lengthen the game time by almost half an hour.

• Ball Possessions – When there are changes in ball possessions or when the ball hits the rim, the 35-second shot clock kicks in. Only eight states in the NFHS follow this shot clock rule. The rest of the states don’t follow this rule. That can explain why their matches are usually longer.

• More (Strategic) Fouls – The lagging team may commit more fouls to stop the 35-second shot clock. It will give them more time to catch up, making the game even longer.

The above factors are some of the things that make high school basketball games end longer. Most high school basketball associations have no standing shot clock rule because only eight states follow this rule.

For those who follow this rule, the shot clock stops if any of the above things happen. If there are 10 seconds or less left in the shot clock, it will be carried over when the shot clock starts again.

The NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) is the governing body that sets the rules of high school basketball games. This organization is the one that sets the length of time a high school basketball should be played.

The NFHS sets the rules of basketball games for girls and boys in the entire 50 states, as well as Washington, DC. There are around 18,500 member schools that follow their rules. This body ensures that there is consistency in the sports competition in all high schools in the United States.

The longest high school basketball game in the record books was the game between Angier High School and Boone Trail High School. The game was played in Carter Gym of Campbell University. The score at the end of the regulation time was 44-44.

It took the two opposing teams 13 overtimes before one came out the winner. Both teams used their five starters to finish the game without any substitutions. The final score was 54-52, in favor of Boone Trail High School.

The starting bell rang at 8:30 p.m., and the final buzzer was heard just before midnight. It took Boone Trail High nearly three and a half hours to beat Angier High and only two points at that. The leading scorer of the winning team shot 29 points.

The match between Liberty Center and Swayzee is probably the next longest high school basketball game ever played in the United States. This game took nine overtimes before Swayzee won.

A player on the winning team recalled that the game lasted 59 minutes. It was nearly twice as long as a regular game, said the player. The score at the final buzzer was 65-61 in favor of Swayzee.

So, to recap, how long is a high school basketball game? A typical high school basketball game will last about 1.5 hours, or even up to 2 hours. The base regulation time is 42 minutes. Every game has four 8-minute quarters for a total of 32 minutes. Then there’s a halftime break, which is 10 minutes, making the total number of minutes to 42.

However, a typical high school basketball match usually lasts an hour and a half to two hours. Fouls, clock stoppages, and timeouts are some of the things that can make the game time longer.

Related reading:

How Long Is a Basketball Game? (NBA)

How Long Is a College Basketball Game? (NCAA)

How Long Is a Football Game? (NFL)

Squash Vs Racquetball – What is the Difference?

How long is a basketball game in China?

Basketball is one of the most popular team sports in the world. Basketball is played in all countries from childhood.

One of the trendsetters in this sport is the United States, where the strongest league in the world, the NBA, was created. With all this, not every person in the world knows the rules of basketball.

Many even find it difficult to answer that a time in basketball is called a quarter. A basketball game consists of four quarters or two halves of two quarters each.

Content

• What is the difference between a quarter and a period and a set, why are they called so
• Features of time tracking in basketball
• How many quarters does a basketball game consist of
• Duration of a half
  • How long does the fourth quarter last between
  • How long is the break between quarters
• Helpful video
• How many periods are there in a basketball game?
• How long is a quarter in basketball (NBA and FIBA)?

What is the difference between a quarter and a period and a set, why are they called that way

Sports terms such as "quarter", "period", "set" are familiar to all athletes and professionals in this field, but they often raise questions among ordinary people. The terms "quarter", "period", "set" are used in various sports.

A basketball game consists of four parts, each of which, logically, is called a "quarter". The starting two quarters form the first half of the match, the remaining - the second half. Quarters vary in length.

In European competitions they last 10 minutes each, in the National Basketball Association (NBA) the set lasts 12 minutes.

As for the periods, they last 20 minutes each in basketball in Europe and 24 minutes in the NBA. The game consists of two periods, each of which includes two quarters.

It is worth noting that the term "period" refers, first of all, not to basketball, but to hockey. A hockey match consists of three periods, each of which lasts 20 minutes. If after three periods the teams are tied, an extra period is played.

The same applies to the term "set". This word often denotes parts of a match in volleyball and tennis, lasting 12 minutes.

Features of time tracking in basketball

At the beginning of the match, the referee takes the starting throw-in in the center of the court. One player from each team is fighting for the ball. From this moment, the countdown begins.

A basketball match consists of four quarters. In Europe, the 1st quarter lasts 10 minutes of "dirty" time, in the NBA - 12 minutes. However, you should not think that the European quarter ends strictly in 10 minutes, and the American - in 12. In basketball, time is counted only when the player dribbles or holds it in his hands. All basketball halls are equipped with electronic scoreboards, on which seconds and minutes are counted.

Photo 1. A special electronic scoreboard used in basketball games. It displays the number of the period, the time of the game and the score.

If a player fouls an opponent, the ball goes out of bounds, or the coach takes a time-out, time stops and the clock starts ticking again only when play resumes.

The team has 24 seconds for one attack. If during this time a throw is not made on the ring, the ball goes to the other team. If a foul is committed during the 24-second possession, the team gets 14 more seconds to attack, or the fouled player enters the free throw line. Some more possession restrictions:

• In the first 8 seconds, the basketball player must move the ball from his own half to the opponent's half.

• When throwing the ball in from the endline or when taking a free throw, a player may not hold the ball for more than 5 seconds.
• The player's time under the hoop cannot exceed 3 seconds, otherwise a violation of the three-second zone rule is recorded.

During matches, coaches have the right to take timeouts (in the NBA, players on the court are also given this right). While the break lasts, playing time is not counted.

Attention! The number of timeouts in the NBA was reduced in the summer of 2017. Instead of 18 total pauses per game, teams for two were left with 14. This was done in order to increase the dynamism of the game.

In the NBA, each coach can take 7 time-outs during a match, each lasting 75 seconds. In Europe, each team has 5 breaks. During the last 3 minutes of the match, you can take only 2 time-outs (the same rule applies in Europe). In overtime, NBA coaches can use 2 extra breaks, while in Europe - 1.

How many quarters does a basketball game consist of

Previously, a basketball game consisted of two halves, each lasting 20 minutes. Since 2000, the basketball game has been divided into four quarters.

If a draw is recorded in basketball after four quarters, an additional quarter is assigned - overtime, which lasts 5 minutes.

If, according to its results, the teams again did not reveal the winner, another 5-minute period is assigned.

The number of overtimes is not limited.

Half time

A basketball quarter can last either 10 or 12 minutes. A longer version is used in the NBA, as well as in the not very popular championships of China and the Philippines. In other tournaments, the regulations set the duration of the quarter at 10 minutes. The total dirty play time is 48 minutes for the NBA, China and the Philippines, and 40 minutes for the rest of the tournaments.

Important! When organizing competitions in universities and school institutions, these rules are often neglected. In this regard, in such competitions, as a rule, the game consists of 2 halves, each of which lasts 20 minutes.

How many minutes is the fourth quarter

The fourth quarter of a basketball game is no different from the first three in "dirty" time. According to the regulations, it lasts 12 minutes in the NBA and 10 minutes in European tournaments.

However, sometimes the 4th quarter can drag on for 20, 30 or more minutes of “clean” time.

This is explained by the fact that at the end of the game meeting, the team that concedes (with a slight difference in the score) can use the tactics of deliberate fouls.

Its essence is to break the rules on the opponent's player, whose athlete has the worst free throws (usually centers and power forwards).

Often, the so-called big men miss their free throws, and then the losing team has a chance to snatch a victory or send the match into overtime. Of course, during the penetration of penalties, the game time stops, sometimes the judges resort to video review of controversial moments, which is why the duration of the match is seriously delayed.

How long is the break between quarters

Teams get the longest break in basketball between the second and third quarters - 15 minutes. After a long break, the teams change baskets. Between the rest of the segments, basketball players rest for two minutes.

Useful video

Watch a video that explains the rules of basketball, including the length of periods.

It is very difficult to name the average duration of a basketball game. The duration of the game depends on many factors: the difference in the score, the presence / absence of foul tactics in the end, the number of time-outs taken, the presence / absence of overtime. On average, the game lasts 1.5-2 hours, however, this framework is very arbitrary. For example, in 2006, the North Carolina and Duke teams played for 56 hours, although this match was an exhibition and charity match, and therefore the organizers did everything possible to make it colorful.

It so happened that some of the rules of basketball in Europe and North America are different, 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 there is more time to show the viewer their products (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.

Also, many are 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. The duel was held specifically to set a record, the student teams "North Carolina" and "Duke" played each other for more than 58 hours in a row, the victory was won by "Duke" with a score of 3688:3444. All proceeds from ticket sales went to charity.

Some NBA and FIBA ​​basketball rules differ. So, one of the main differences is the duration of the periods, in US tournaments each lasts 12 minutes, and in Europe - 10 minutes. A basketball game can never end in a draw, so there is no limit to the number of added halves. If you are planning to visit a basketball game, please note that it can take as much as 2-3 hours to watch.

This is interesting: the tallest basketball players in the world.

How many periods in basketball | How many periods does basketball consist of, match duration rules

Basketball is one of the favorite and popular sports all over the world. At the same time, the answer to the question of how many quarters there are in basketball, and what is their duration, causes difficulties for many. Such concepts as a quarter, overtime, break, timeout are familiar to all professional athletes, but such terms often raise questions for ordinary people.

Duration of basketball game

The countdown is carried out only during direct play, that is, when the players hold or dribble the ball. The responsibility for the correct count lies with the arbiter, who watches the timer with a stopwatch. When there are pauses, the ball is outside the playing area, the time stops and starts again after the resumption of the game with the ball.

It depends on the organizer of the competition, so it is different for North America and Europe. The US and FIBA ​​interpret differently, and in order to avoid errors in answering the question of how long the match lasts, it is worth clarifying which association is in question.

The NBA is characterized by a slightly longer duration, which exceeds FIBA ​​by 2 minutes. This is due to the more advertising nature of the players in American tournaments.

Period in basketball: how many minutes does it last?

Previously, it consisted of 2 halves of 20 minutes. In 2000 the rules were changed. Today everything is divided into quarters, the length of which may vary slightly depending on the species.

Varieties:

• 10-minute;
• 12-minute.

A longer period is typical for the players of the National Basketball Organization, the so-called NBA. In all other tournaments, it is always the same: 10 minutes. The total time is 48 for the US and 40 for the rest of the leagues.

When organizing in universities and school institutions, these rules are often neglected. In this regard, as a rule, it consists of two periods, 20 minutes each, which is unusual for many team players.

Organization of a basketball match. The referee starts everything by performing a jump ball on the center circle of the court. The referee throws the ball vertically upwards between the representatives of each team. The ball cannot be picked up, therefore, to start the countdown, the player must only touch it, after which the game begins on the court.

The first rules did not limit the basketball player in the time of possible possession of the ball.

Today, a certain time is given for the attack:

• 24 seconds for everyone except NBA;
• 32 for basketball in the National Association.

When does the countdown start? The countdown starts from the moment the ball hits the player's hands. The team of referees always includes a 24 second operator who monitors compliance with the ball possession rule. After the throw has passed, you need to pass the ball to another member of the team, otherwise the referee blows the whistle and the match is interrupted. There are temporary restrictions on possession of the ball:

• for the first 8 sec. it is necessary to carry the ball from your own half to the opponent's field;
• when throwing in or taking a free throw, the time may not exceed 5 minutes;
• passing under the ring cannot exceed 3 seconds.

The coach of each team may take a time-out. Their number and organization depends on the team coach. Each party can exercise this right no more than 5 times. It can be done once after regular time. There is the following limitation:

• twice - in 1 half;
• three times - rest of the second part.

How long does the game last? Goals are being counted and the team with the most goals wins. In case of an equal number of goals scored, extra time is assigned, which is additional time: 5 minutes.

It goes until the winner is determined. The practice of holding tournaments shows that dopas are usually assigned no more than 3 times.

Exceptions may be the so-called paired meetings. In this case, the first match can end in a draw, and in the future the winner will be determined by the results of goals scored in the second.

How long is a basketball game?

Basketball cannot end in a draw, so the number of special stages assigned is not limited.

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