The game of football has been popular for many years, as it has a huge fan base and is an exciting time of the year every fall. Football is enjoyed for some at the age of seven years old and up.
Although the game of football is somewhat under attack because of its safety, the game is still loved by many and appreciated by many. People of all ages watch football on a regular basis during the fall, and at all levels can bring excitement and passion.
There is a lot of discussion on ways to improve the game and there is a push for leagues to get rid of some of the extra time that is wasted along the way. Halftime shows can be very lengthy, whether it is a band, or some sort of halftime entertainment.
In this article we will discuss the lengths of games for each level; NFL, NCAA, high school, junior varsity, and youth football. There are many factors that impact the actual length of football games.
How Long is a Football Game?
An NFL game consists of four quarters, with each quarter lasting 15 minutes, for a total of 60 minutes. The average NFL football game lasts just about three hours and 10 minutes, but is impacted by many different factors throughout the game.
An NFL football game has stoppages for many different reasons. There are stops in play because of timeouts, reviews, and entertainment.
Below, we will provide a breakdown of the average time it takes for games at each level and provide information on the number of quarters that each level plays.
How Long is a Football Game in the NFL?
As noted above, the average NFL game lasts around three hours. The actual playing time in a football game is 60 minutes, but the action is stopped many times throughout the game.
There are many factors that contribute to the length of a football game. Each team has provided timeouts, which definitely impacts the full length of the game. During these timeouts, the NFL breaks for commercials as well as on the field entertainment. They’ve done a great job of providing an exciting atmosphere for people that attend the games.
The NFL has also been using instant replay in order to get calls correct. Most people consider this a positive to the game, but summer disagree because of the length and delays of an actual game. Recently, there have been more reasons to stop games for instant replay, as the NFL has incorporated additional reasons for instant replay. One of these is to review pass interference, which some believe is unnecessary to the game.
These factors throughout the game have actually increased the amount of time an NFL game lasts. The game has become more entertainment-based than 25–30 years ago, but many believe it is an important part of the experience.
How Long is Halftime in the NFL?
Halftime is 13 minutes and 30 seconds long in the NFL, the shortest halftime of the three levels of play.
How Long is a College Football Game?
A college football game lasts about 3 hours and 30 minutes. The actual playing time of a college game is 60 minutes, which is the same as the NFL. College football, like the NFL has four quarters, each quarter lasting 15 minutes.
Division 1 college has now gone to instant replay as well, similar to the NFL. This is one factor that slows the college game down as well. For the most part, however, the college level game is longer than an NFL game.
The NCAA has gotten some backlash regarding the length of games. College games, in general, are lasting longer than NFL games, and have gotten to be very commercial based. In general, NCAA football has become much more of a passing game than years ago, naturally slowing down the pace of the game.
There are 20 minutes dedicated to halftime in college football. Many have complained that these 20 minute halftimes have become 24-25 minutes, mostly because of halftime shows lasting longer than expected. The reason for this is because college football has become an entertainment form, which has a variety of shows during halftime.
There is a push to eliminate the extra minutes following halftime and when the clock runs down after the 20 minutes, that the game will resume.
How Long is Halftime in College Football
Halftime lasts 20 minutes in college football. Typically both bands play at halftime, and the college game is used for entertainment at halftime. Colleges will have bands that play at halftime, so the allotted time is more than in the NFL. These games have become very entertainment oriented.
Why are NFL Games Shorter than College Games?
The simple answer to this is television time. On Sundays, NFL games are fit into a tight window, and so these games need to run efficiently. Typically the first NFL game on SUnday is at 1:00pm and the next game is scheduled to start at 4:15. The NFL game is runa bit more efficient because of this.
The NFL offenses are much more similar than college offenses. At the college level, there are so many different styles of offense being run, from triple option to the spread. This makes the discrepancy in game lengths much different for each game. Some teams are more apt to run the ball, while others are committed to throwing the ball more.
Halftime is longer in college football as well, as there is more of a show than in the NFL.
How Long is a High School Football Game?
A high school football game typically will last about 2 ½ hours. All states have four quarters of high school football, and most states have 12 minute quarters. The main difference in length for high school, however, is that halftime is typically 20 minutes in length. Some states will have shorter halftimes, but high school games usually incorporate both bands that need to play at halftime.
High school football does not have instant replay, so games can be a little more predictable, however high school brings many different styles of offense, which definitely impact the amount of time used to complete a football game.
Does Every State have 12 Minute Quarters in High School Football?
Every state except for Massachusetts has 12 minute quarters. They have 11 minute quarters during the regular season and 10 minute quarters during the postseason. Massachusetts is the only state that does not currently have 12 minute quarters.
12 Minute quarters seems to be a sufficient amount of time in high school. Passing and spread offenses have become more popular so the clock is stopping more today than ever. High school football does not have instant replay, and rules are reviewed on a minimal basis.
Why is Halftime so Long in High School Football?
Halftime in high school is typically 20 minutes long. 20 minutes is the longest halftime of all levels of football. Why is this? High school football has become a great show, many people attend games to see a high school band perform. The passion and excitement that this brings to a Friday night football game is really something to see.
What Time Does a High School Football Game Typically Start?
Most states start high school football games at 7:00pm. Some states do start their games at 7:30pm. Most games in high school are played on Friday nights, except for fields that do not have lights; they will start games at 4:00pm or on Saturday afternoons.
High school football has branched out a bit recently and some states are playing games on Thursday nights. This is done for entertainment purposes, as a way to change it up.
Is There a Mercy Rule in High School Football?
Most states have incorporated a running clock as a way to offset big leads. In Ohio, the running clock begins when a team is winning by 30 or more points, and only in the second half of the game. Once the lead is brought back down under 30, the running clock ends and the game resumes in normal fashion.
Some coaches are in favor of this, and some are not. It is pretty common for coaches that have a large number of players on the roster are the ones that are not in favor of a running clock. These coaches feel that it limits the opportunity for some of their younger, or second string players to get the opportunity to play in varsity level games.
How Long is a Junior Varsity Football Game?
Typically a junior varsity football game will last no more than two hours. Typically, a junior varsity football game will have four quarters, each quarter lasting usually 10 minutes. These games will move pretty quickly as there is no halftime show at most junior varsity games.
How Long is Halftime at a Junior Varsity Game?
Halftime for a junior varsity game is typically 10 minutes. This definitely cuts the time down for these football games. The junior varsity games do not have halftime shows, so halftime itself can be only 10 minutes. Team traditionally will just meet in the endzone to discuss the game up until that point, without heading to the locker room.
These games are usually played on Saturdays, most of the time in the mornings, unless there is something special happening with the game itself. These games typically run very smoothly, as the young men are developing into varsity players.
How Long is a Youth Football Game?
Youth football games usually last between one hour and 1 ½ hours. These games are typically pretty quick, without a lot of stoppages in play. Youth football plays four quarters and the quarters are usually eight minutes long.
Youth football games end up being quick mostly because the majority of teams do not pass the ball. Most teams run the football, so the clock is constantly running throughout the game, with the exception of when a ball carrier goes out of bounds, a change of possession, or any score in the game.
How Long is Halftime at a Youth Football Game?
10 minutes is the typical halftime length. Teams make adjustments on the field, usually in the endzone or at the bench area.
Is there a Mercy Rule in youth Football?
Some leagues use a running clock with a certain score differential and some use a straight mercy rule with a score differential.
The best youth leagues use a system where you label your better players that play in the backfield. These players, once the score spread is hit, depending on the differential set up by the league, can no longer play in the backfield. This helps others get a chance to carry the ball, and also slows the game down a bit for the opposing team.
Final Thoughts
Football is enjoyed at every level, whether it’s the NFL, college football, high school football, junior varsity football, or youth football. Some people attend games for the halftime show, for the extra things that happen at a football game.
Games have become increasingly longer at most levels of football. The NFL and college levels now incorporate instant replay, commercials seem to take longer, and the the offensive schemes have changed to ore passing, which in turn stops the clock more often.
The college football game is the longest level of football. The NFL pushes to get games finished because of their broadcasting schedule.
Halftime plays a key role in making games long, as high school and college have the longest halftimes; 20 minutes.
Mercy rules are a part of high school and younger levels, as the discrepancy in talent is quite vast at these levels, compared to college and the NFL. Either way, each level is different, and people choose their favorites because of the game itself, and most people aren’t concerned about the total length of football games.
