Twenty minutes Intermissions and Period Length The interlude between halves should be 20 minutes unless changed before to the game by mutual consent of both school administrations. The referee should begin the interval immediately after the second period concludes by signaling to start the game clock [S2]. At the end of the intermission, the referee may choose to extend the period by two further 15-minute periods. If this happens, the referee must signal a third "O" flag when it is his/her decision to stop the play.
In practice, the length of time between quarters varies greatly from game to game. In college football, quarters usually last 15 minutes, which allows for three 30-minute periods instead of two 40-minute ones. High school football periods are only 10 minutes long, which makes four 10-minute periods possible instead of five 15-minute ones.
In pro football, intervals between quarters can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as 50 minutes. This allows for three 20-minute periods instead of two 25-minute ones.
In international football competitions such as the World Cup, the interval between matches is often two hours or more. This allows for half-time meals and other ancillary activities within that time frame.
Within the maximum time allowed, each league/competition will choose its own playing time. The maximum time, however, will be two parts of 30 minutes. During development matches, the times of play might be divided into equal quarters. The half-time interval cannot be more than 15 minutes. If a match goes beyond its scheduled end, an extra 5 minutes are added to bring it up to the maximum allowed length.
The rules were changed in 1990 to allow for one 10-minute overtime period if the score is tied at the end of regulation time. If there is no winner during overtime, the match will proceed directly to a second overtime session.
There have been attempts to increase the length of games by adding three or four additional periods of 12 minutes each. These proposals were rejected by the men's national team at the FIFA Congress in December 2005 and June 2014.
The current official limit for a men's international game is 90 minutes plus five minutes for a penalty shootout if the teams are level after that time. Women's international games are currently limited to 80 minutes with no further breaks except for water pauses under FIFA rules.
In a World Cup year (the year before and including the year of the tournament), the official limit for all countries participating in the World Cup is the same as those listed above.
Each half will last 15 minutes, with a 5-minute break between the two halves. After the first half of play, each side will switch ends. The clock will not stop during these breaks.
In sports where there is a rest period after each quarter or half, such as football or basketball, the rest period usually ranges from 3 to 5 minutes. In soccer, however, there is no rest period between the two halves, only a 5-minute break at the end of the 1st half. This is because soccer is a continuous action without any pauses for rest or change of direction.
The rest period in soccer is similar to that in ice hockey. Each team gets 10 minutes to rest before the start of the second half.
During a game of soccer, players are expected to be active for their entire time on the field. If a player is removed from the field for any reason, another player must take his place immediately. A substitute cannot come onto the field during extra time; instead, another player can come into the game during this time.
Substitutions are used in soccer to give teams a chance to replace injured players and still remain competitive. An injured player can be replaced by a teammate or by a substitute.
Under 13s and under 14s: Teams are extended to 11 players per side, and games are played in two halves of 35 minutes each. Under 15s and under 16s: This is the final level before attaining full maturity, with games lasting 40 minutes each side.
Football enthusiasts are aware that a regular-season league game lasts 60 minutes. The game consists of four 15-minute quarters. There is a three-minute break at the end of the first and third quarters. The first half is followed by a 15-minute break. If a game is tied at the end of regulation, the teams will play one 15-minute sudden-death session.
Because this is the length of a football game determined by the game's founding lawmakers, the Football Association, in 1868. How long does a football game last, including halftime? A football game will run at least 1 hour and 45 minutes. This assumes 45 minutes of football in each half and a 15-minute break in between.