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All posts by Andrew MorganBasketball quarters are typically 10-12 minutes long and there are four quarters in a match.
While the number of quarters remains the same across world basketball, the length of the quarters is different. Quarters in college basketball games are shorter than those in professional basketball matches.
How Many Quarters Are in an NBA Game?
There are four quarters, each lasting 12 minutes, in NBA games. The regulation period for an NBA match, therefore, lasts 48 minutes. Of course, due to stoppages for injuries, timeouts, and foul assessments, a quarter will actually take longer than 12 minutes to complete. Essentially, there is 12 minutes of actual playing time per quarter in an NBA match.
How Many Quarters Are in a WNBA Game?
Quarters in a WNBA match are 10 minutes long but there are still four of them. This means that WNBA matches have 40 minutes of regulation time. Similar to NBA matches, the quarters in WNBA matches may actually take longer to complete due to stoppages.
How Many Quarters Are There in College Basketball
There are no quarters in a basketball match involving male college athletes. The National Collegiate Athletic Association deemed that their basketball matches should be broken down into halves.
Before the formation of the NBA, basketball matches started as 30-minute contests made up of two 15-minute halves. These were extended to two 20-minute halves in 1905.
In 1951, the NBA and NCAA opted for four 10-minute quarters. However, the NCAA reverted back to 20-minute halves in 1954. This is when the NBA decided to add two minutes to each of their quarters. This makes NBA games longer than other basketball games by eight minutes in total.
How Many Quarters Are in NCAA Basketball?
There are no quarters in a men’s NCAAB match, there are two halves. Both halves are made up of 20 minutes of regular time. This means a men’s college basketball match lasts for as long as a WNBA match. Of course, just like any other basketball match, the halves may take longer than 20 minutes due to stoppages.
How Many Quarters Are in Women’s College Basketball?
NCAA women’s basketball matches are 40 minutes long as well. However, these do have quarters and they are each 10 minutes long. This format is preferred because it reduces the number of free throws awarded and improves the flow of the game.
Duration of Basketball Quarters
How long quarters last in basketball matches changes between competitions. NBA quarters last 12 minutes each, while the WNBA and other competitions tend to have 10-minute quarters.
The duration of women’s college matches is the same as men’s, except women play four 10-minute quarters while men play two 20-minute halves.
How Long Are the Breaks Between Quarters in Basketball?
In NBA matches, the break between the quarters is typically around two and a half minutes. If the match is televised nationally, the breaks tend to last around three and a half minutes. There is also a two-and-a-half-minute break before overtime periods.
The break between quarters two and three is longer at around 15 minutes long. This is for halftime. During this time, the teams tend to retire to their respective dressing rooms.
Women’s college basketball matches are made up of four 10-minute quarters with a 15-minute halftime break.
NBA Quarters vs WNBA, College Basketball, and International Basketball Quarters
The quarters in a basketball match are different across various disciplines and governing bodies of the sport. Take a look at this comparison table for a guide. You will notice that men’s basketball in the US, whether collegiate or professional, is out of step with the rest of the world.
| Governing Body/Discipline | Quarter Lengths |
| NBA | 12 minutes |
| WNBA | 10 minutes |
| FIBA | 10 minutes |
| NCAA Men’s | 20-minute halves |
| NCAA Women’s | 10 minutes |
Extra Quarters in Basketball
Overtime is played when a basketball match is still tied at the end of regular time. The match will continue for another five minutes and whoever is winning at that time will win the match. If there is still no winner, another five minutes of overtime is played. This continues until there is a winner at the end of an overtime period.
Referring to these periods of overtime as additional quarters is a very uncommon practice.
A 1951 match between the Indianapolis Olympians and the Rochester Royals required the highest number of overtimes in history. There were six overtimes and the game lasted 78 minutes, finishing 75-73 to Indianapolis.
Conclusion
Basketball is largely a four quarter game. The NBA has 12-minute quarters while the WNBA, women’s NCAAB, and FIBA basketball games have quarters that are 10 minutes long. This means the length of quarters does vary by basketball league.
NCAA men’s basketball matches are made up of two halves of 20 minutes long each.
The break between quarters in the NBA is two and a half minutes. The only difference is if the game is nationally televised, when the breaks are an extra minute long. The break between quarters two and three under most governing bodies is 15 minutes long. The teams will usually go to their dressing rooms for this halftime period.
NBA Quarters FAQs
Why are NBA quarters 12 minutes in length?
Why are there quarters in an NBA game?
What are the main differences between NBA quarters and other forms of basketball?
What is an extra quarter and how do they occur?
How many quarters are in high school basketball games?
