How Long Is a Football Game?

The NFL betting market is growing daily, and there are potentially more new fans learning the sport than ever before. 

With that in mind,  knowing how long an NFL game lasts is important. In fact, the BetMGM online sportsbook offers football odds on whether a game will go into overtime, an additional period that extends the game’s duration. 

Below, I’ll explain the duration of an NFL game, including each quarter and overtime, as well as discuss the differences between college and high school football. 

How Long Is a Football Game in the NFL?

An NFL game consists of four quarters, each lasting 15 minutes. 

However, you’ll find games last three hours or more, whether you watch on TV or attend in person.

This is because there are additional factors to consider, including the following: 

• Halftime can last about 15 minutes. This occurs after the second quarter. 
• Commercial breaks are quite common. There are 16 commercial breaks, with eight in each half. 

Aside from halftime and commercial breaks, the game is lengthened by additional factors, including timeouts, injuries, replay reviews, and more. 

Games can extend beyond this should they go into overtime. Overtime happens when the teams competing are tied at the end of regulation.

During the regular season (Weeks 1 to 18), there’s one overtime period that lasts for 10 minutes. If the teams remain tied at the end of this period, the game will be declared a tie. 

However, in the playoffs, there’s no cap on overtime periods. Teams will play until someone wins. 

There’s a two-minute intermission between each overtime. 

How Long Is a Football Game in College Football?

College football games take roughly the same time, if not longer, than NFL games. College games have commercial breaks, but halftime is slightly longer, typically around 20 minutes. 

Additionally, there are different clock rules, such as a stoppage after every first down in the final two minutes of each half. 

Overtime also occurs in college football, but it’s done differently, which can result in multiple overtime periods. Teams begin on the opponent’s 25-yard line, and if they score, they must attempt a two-point conversion. After two overtime periods, teams will then alternate two-point conversion attempts. 

As you can see, given the shortened field and a potentially easier opportunity to score, games can run longer in college if they reach overtime. For example, in 2021, Illinois beat Penn State 20-18 after nine overtimes. This game lasted more than four hours.

How Long Is a Football Game in High School Football?

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, high school football games have four quarters, each lasting 12 minutes. 

As for halftime, it lasts between 10 and 20 minutes. 

Games can be two hours or less, as the average high school football game isn’t televised, so there are no commercial breaks to consider.

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