Football is a very popular game in America and many questions arise in our minds about this sport. One of the very commonly asked questions about this sport is: How long do high school football games last? If you also have the same question, then don’t miss reading this article as it is going to answer your query in detail.
It was in the late 1800s that football started becoming popular in America. Then, in 1920, the American Professional Football Association was formed which was later renamed the National Football League (NFL). Unquestionably, the NFL has gained huge popularity over the years.
Football can be said to be a part of American culture and as far as high school football is concerned, no doubt, it attracts a huge audience. A huge number of fans eagerly wait for the fall to see different teams compete and people love seeing their favorite teams play. Being such a popular game, people have a lot of questions about it and the question we are answering here is: How long do high school football games last?
The short answer to this question is two to two-and-a-half hours. How is this time used? And does the time of each game vary? Let’s go into further details to get a clearer view of the timeline of high school football.
A high school football game, which usually lasts around two hours, is divided into four quarters. The duration of each quarter is 12 minutes. This is different from the NFL game in which each quarter lasts 15 minutes. Now the question arises why does this time difference prevail?
This is because the area of the high school football field is comparatively smaller than that of the NFL football field which in turn means that the players have to run a shorter distance to goal and such, and the timing of the game is also curtailed. Another reason for the shorter duration of each quarter is that high school football ball players are still in their developing stage and can not play for longer sessions like professionals.
Apart from the four quarters of 12-minute duration each, there is a two-minute intermission after the completion of the first and the third quarters. Further, a 20-minute break is observed at halftime. This brings the total duration of the match to about two hours.
However, in exceptional cases, the match may take longer than two hours. Overtime may occur if a game is very close. It may also occur if any player gets injured or there are other delays. Such delays may cause the match to take another half an hour or so. The usual time, however, is two to two-and-a-half hours.
I hope this article helped you get a lucid answer to the question, How long do high school football games last? Besides this article, you may also like to read about: What Does DB Mean in Football?
