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How many quarters in college basketball game


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 Many Quarters Are There In A Basketball Game?

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Many people are interested in basketball, so there are many interesting questions to ask. Do you know: ‘how many quarters are there in a basketball game?’

There are 4 quarters in a basketball game. A typical NBA game consists of four 12-minute quarters; however, the length may vary significantly between games. 

Let’s take a closer look at these basketball terms with Scott Fujita!

Contents

How Many Quarters Are There In A Basketball Game?

A basketball game contains four quarters, which are the distinct periods of the game. The play clock starts on how much time is left, depending on the quarter of the game. 

How long are NBA quarters? In the NBA playoffs, the game clock begins at 12 to zero. Due to overtime or other game issues, the playing time may sometimes prolong for five minutes.

People from various walks of life have played basketball games. Children, men, or women can play basketball. It has been performed at colleges, schools, universities, and on a worldwide or national stage.  

People Divide A Basketball Game Into Quarters

Therefore, basketball has several phases depending on the institution and age differences. Other basketball regulations, such as court tip-off, direction, dribbling, violation, and shooting, are consistent throughout all games. 

View more: How many fouls to foul out in NBA

High School Basketball Game Quarters

High School Basketball Game May Run Up To 2 Hours

Fouls, breaks, halftimes, and other small moments may make a high school basketball game run up to 2 hours. High school basketball games consist of a 32-minute base session. 

It includes four quarters, each of which lasts 8 minutes. For high school males and females, this term is the same. 

College Basketball Game Quarters

Basketball games in college are lengthier than those in high school. The men’s or women’s college game lasts about two hours and ten minutes in total. The quarter consists of 10 minutes long, and the classic game takes 40 minutes to complete. There is also a 40-minute half-time break. Each half-time is 20 minutes long. 

Related: How many periods are in basketball

University Basketball Game Quarters

The college basketball season is the same as the university, WNBA, and NCAA seasons. All these matches span two hours till finish, similar to a double tennis racquet competition.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the originator of basketball tournaments, championships, and leagues. The NBA is in charge of all basketball regulations and rules. 

Following are the WNBA, NCA, and other basketball leagues across the world. There are four quarters in NBA games as well. Each NBA quarter length has a time limit of 12 minutes. It implies that each NBA game lasts 48 minutes.

Extra Quarters

Extra Quarters Are A Timeframe

In basketball, there are different quarters. These times appear when a basketball match ends without a winner. These extra quarters add intrigue and suspense to the game. However, there are 5 minutes of rules at this time.

If neither team wins, another additional session will begin to determine the final results, and so on until finding a winner. Each basketball game is split into two halves. The first intermission begins, and the second halftime starts after the second and third quarter.

Both sides have time during the halftime breaks to devise methods for dealing with the other squad. They also utilize this time to focus on their flaws as well as the opponent’s weaknesses.

How Many Quarters Are Played In A Professional Basketball Game? 

A basketball quarter at international basketball level is approximately 10 minutes long. Before commencing a new quarter, there is a two-minute break. During a halt, international basketball players can also call timeouts. Only the coach has the authority to make such a request.

Why Are There Breaks In Between Quarters?

The time between basketball quarters gives the players a chance to recuperate before the next one begins. It also functions as a transition phase, signaling the start of a new game quarter. 

Halftime is a lengthier pause for relaxing, allowing the squad to organize their approach for the coming quarters. It guarantees that the mistakes they made in the previous quarter do not repeat themselves in the future. 

Moreover, breaks also give players a chance to relax or make replacements.

Some Other Basic Basketball Terms

Basketball is a diverse sport with several options. In every season, rules and methods change in the play. Basketball allows players to vary their strategies because it gives them the chance to do so. 

Because of the game’s liberal character, these changes are generally acceptable. Before you begin playing basketball, you should be familiar with the following words. 

Blocking

Blocking is when an opponent player who does not have the ball makes illegal physical contact with another player. It is a rule infringement that results in a punishment. The severity of the penalty varies depending on the blocking.

Dribbling

Ball Possession

During ball possession, basketball players are unacceptable to move. It prevents players from switching positions without shooting or passing. 

Dribbling is bouncing the ball on the court while going quicker and faster. Assume you keep the ball in your hands for more than 1 second while moving, then the referee calls for a foul, and the team receives a penalty. 

Held Ball

In a basketball game, a held ball is a form of foul. When two players from opposing teams have a firm grip on the ball, it is “held ball”. They have such powerful grips on the ball that it is nearly complicated for any of them to obtain complete custody of it.

In this case, the referee calls the held ball, and the ball is given to the starting team from the court’s center. A player cannot make and pass a scoring shot if he is stranded at the basket post protected by opposing players. 

Jump Ball

Jump Ball Is Comparable To Football Kick-Off

A jump ball is comparable to a football kick-off. It occurs at the basketball court’s center when the referee tosses the basketball into the air, and one participant from every team attempts to roll the ball. 

It is responsible for directing the ball towards a fellow player to gain initial possession of the ball. Any basketball game begins with this stage. After the referee calls the held ball, a jump ball appears. It generates a sense of fairness in the game. 

Passing

Passing is the way of exchanging possession of the ball between teammates. When dribbling isn’t an option, or you need to go beyond an opponent’s guard, you’ll have to pass.

Here are five primary forms of passing: 

  • The chest pass is when the ball goes from a position directly in front of the player’s chest.
  • The bounce pass is a passing where players forcefully bounce the ball on the court’s floor. It aids in getting the ball past a defensive opponent guard. Close to the goal-post, it is the most commonly utilized method.
  • The roll pass is a passing where the player rolls the ball across the court’s floor. It aids in moving the ball across the opponent’s players from below. However, because enemies readily intercept this passing, it is rarely employed.
  • The hook pass is passing, where a player tosses a basketball from the head side to a teammate. It may even be responsible for passing to a teammate from above—this aids in a diversion in the creation of opponents.
  • The baseball pass is a passing when the ball goes to a teammate from a greater distance. To do a baseball pass, toss the ball using one hand in the same manner as a fastball throw. 

When you’re stuck in an opponent’s defensive line and your teammates are separated by a significant distance, this strategy comes in handy.

Pivoting

Pivoting

It is a method in which the player moves one or two steps in either direction and maintains the initial foot firmly on the ground simultaneously. It aids in perplexing the opposing players. 

Rebounding

The basketball is bounced back after a collision with the backboard in a missed basket attempt. If the ball stays within the court’s boundaries, players on both sides attempt to seize possession of it. If it is rebounded out of bounds, the referee signals a jump ball in the middle of the court.

Final Thoughts

This article provides you with information: ‘How many quarters are in a basketball game?

So, if you’re watching a broadcast game, the number of quarters they play may instantly tell you if you’re watching an NBA, high school basketball, college basketball, or international basketball game.

Thanks for reading!

How long is a quarter in basketball (NBA, FIBA). Number of halves in a game

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    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 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. 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.

    Conclusion

    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.

    Interesting: the tallest basketball players in the world.

    2018-12-22

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    Quarter in basketball - how long does it last, what is it, how many quarters in basketball

    Danila Chezhin

    The time of a basketball game is divided into segments - quarters. This format in many ways makes basketball so popular all over the world. In this article, we will talk about how many quarters there are in basketball, what quarters are, and how the "quarter" division affects the game as a whole.

    What is a basketball quarter?

    Almost all sports divide the total game time into segments. Such a meeting arrangement makes games more interesting and dramatic, allows athletes to relax, and coaches to influence the course of the match. A quarter is part of a basketball match, like a period in hockey, a set in tennis, or a half in football. All these are segments that are formed in accordance with the rules of a particular sports discipline.

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    How long is a quarter in basketball

    The length of a basketball quarter in the world's leading organizations varies. In European basketball, according to the rules set by FIBA, the basketball federation, a quarter lasts 10 minutes. The NBA, the major basketball league in North America, has a time limit of 12 minutes.

    It is important to understand that basketball uses time. That is, when the game process on the court stops due to a violation or substitutions, the time counter also turns off. Therefore, one quarter can go more than half an hour if there are enough stops. The stopwatch starts as soon as the ball is in play - from out of bounds, after a missed free throw or after a kick-off throw.

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    How many quarters are there in basketball

    The word quarter itself means one fourth of the whole. It is clear that there are four quarters in basketball. These are segments equal to each other, within which the same rules apply. For example, in European basketball there is a limit of 5 team fouls per quarter. In any of the segments, the team has the right to break the rules 5 times, even in the first, even in the second, even in the fourth.

    The exception is matches that ended with an equal score. But since there are traditionally no draws in basketball, the meeting continues in an additional round - overtime. If the overtime ended with an equal score, another one is assigned. And so on - until the end. Overtime duration is 5 minutes. Both in European and American competitions.

    It is also worth noting here that the "quarter" format did not appear in basketball immediately, and even now it is not used everywhere. Back in the late 1990s in Europe, the club and national teams played two halves of twenty minutes. This division is still used in overseas student basketball - NCAA.

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    Breaks between quarters

    There are pauses between playing periods in basketball. Moreover, the break between the first and second quarters, as well as between the third and fourth is minimal - 2 minutes. The pause between the second and third quarters is called the big break. Its duration is 15 minutes. The start of the big break is the official end of the first half of the game. The end of the long break is the start of the second half.

    A break between quarters in basketball is not the only stoppage in a game. There are others - in the course of the quarters. They are called timeouts. Each team has the right to stop the game several times during the meeting. Mostly timeouts are used by coaches to make adjustments to tactics and make changes to lineups. In the NBA, each team has a limit of 7 timeouts per game. In Europe - 5.

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