Basketball enthusiasts, both beginners and experts, will often see a clock that signifies the duration of the current game. Beside the identification for the time remaining in the game, you will see a number attached to the word ‘period.’ So how many periods are there in a basketball game?
There are four periods in an NBA game that last 12 minutes each. In FIBA basketball and women’s NCAA basketball, there are four, 10 minute long periods. Rules regarding periods in basketball vary between leagues and associations.
Generally, periods are also called quarters, since it represents one-quarter of a game. But are there any differences between a quarter and a period in basketball at all? In this post, let’s talk about the periods in the basketball games from different associations.
Table of Contents
How Many Periods Are in the NBA?
The NBA has four periods that plays out for 12 minutes each. Take note that it doesn’t mean that the game will end after 12 minutes in real-time. Instead, NBA games, and most basketball matches, will pause the clock during certain events. For example, the game will pause when a team calls for a time out.
What does period mean in basketball?
A period in basketball is a specific block of time. A basketball game consists of four 10 minute quarters each. For a high school basketball game, there are four 8 minute periods; there are a 10 to 15 minutes halftime break and a 1-minute break between the first and the second period and another 1-minute break between the third and the fourth period.
What is the difference between a quarter and a period in basketball?
In the NBA, there is no difference between a “quarter” and a “period.” There are four periods (or four quarters) in a game, with the first two quarters comprising the first half (after which there is a decent-sized break), and the last two quarters comprising the second half, and each period is 12 minutes long.
In NCAA men’s basketball, there are only two periods that go for around 20 minutes each. The time in all periods in a basketball game is called the regulation time. If after regulation there is a tie which can never happen in any basketball match, teams will have to play overtime until one team’s score is ahead of the other.
After every period, there is a break. If a game is played in the 4-period format, there’s a short break between periods 1-2 and 3-4; and a 15-minute break during periods 2-3, which is called halftime break. Only NCAA men’s basketball games have a halftime break.
How long are periods in basketball?
There are four periods (or four quarters) in a game, with the first two quarters comprising the first half (after which there is a decent-sized break), and the last two quarters comprising the second half, and each period is 12 minutes long.
In college basketball, there are only two periods(first and second half). Each half (or period) is 20 minutes long. There is a two-minutes interval between the first and second periods and between the third and fourth periods.
If the game is tied after the fourth period, it continues with an extra period of five minutes, then as many five-minute periods as are necessary to break the tie.
How Many Quarters in Basketball?
In a standard basketball game, particularly those from the NBA and most youth leagues, the entire duration of the match consists of four quarters. However, the number of quarters in a basketball game can differ, depending on the host of the match. In some cases, a game can have two quarters with five periods per quarter.
How long is halftime in basketball?
Men’s college basketball plays two twenty-minute halves while women’s college basketball plays four ten-minute periods. The halftime period in the NBA is the same as with college basketball. The halftime period is 15 minutes in length.
During this break period, players get to rest or strategize with the coach.
How long is the halftime period in the NBA?
The halftime period is 15 minutes in the NBA. This is considerably shorter than with other sports like American Football where the halftime period is extended.
Usually, during the halftime period, the players can sit and relax while preparing for the next game. During this time, the coach will assess the game and the performance of each player throughout the game.
How long are overtime periods?
Regulation games in NCAA run for a total of 40 minutes, split into two 20-minute halves. In NBA, regulation games run for a total of 48 minutes, split into four 12-minute quarters. Overtime periods for both NCAA and NBA are 5 minutes long.
What is the longest game in NBA history?
The allotted time for an average NBA game is around 63 minutes but because of a variety of circumstances such as delays and stoppages, it may be stretched within the regulation time. Let’s revisit some of the most insane and epic NBA games in history.
On November 9, 1989, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Seattle Supersonics in five overtimes for the second-longest game in NBA history.
Seattle’s Dale Ellis set an NBA record by playing 69 of the 73 minutes. Six different players scored 20 or more points in the Bucks’ 155-154 victory that took five overtimes to complete.
Are you ready to find out what’s the longest game in NBA history?
On January 6, 1951, Indianapolis Olympions played a game against Rochester Royals. It turned out to be the longest game in NBA history as it lasted for 6 overtimes. It was a relatively low scoring game that ended on the win of the Olympians over the Royals by 75-73.
Read More >> How Tall is NBA Young Boy?
Do you know who scored the most points in one quarter in basketball history?
Klay Thompson’s 37-point third quarter broke the NBA record for most individual points scored in a single period. Out of the 37 points he scored, nine of which are three-pointers. Being regarded as one of the best basketball players, Thompson was even able to land a shoe line deal with Anta Sports, a shoe company headquartered in China.
You can see the momentous occasion in the video below:
Final thoughts – How many periods in basketball?
That’s all you need to know about what period in basketball is and how they are different between leagues and games. Also, you learned that quarter and period are similar in context.
The game consists of four quarters (or periods) of 10 minutes each, with a 15-minute break at half-time. There is also a two-minute interval between the first and second periods, and between the third and fourth periods. If the game is tied after the fourth period, it continues with an extra period of five minutes, then as many five-minute periods as are necessary to break the tie.
Any questions you may have about the rules in basketball or thoughts that you want to share which could be done to improve the game? Feel free to share them in the comments below!
