How Long Do Football Games Normally Last

A standard professional football game usually lasts for 90 minutes, plus added stoppage time for injuries or other delays.

Ever found yourself wondering, how long do football games normally last? It’s a common question, especially if you’re new to the sport or planning your day around watching a match.

Most games follow a set structure. The 90 minutes of play time is divided into two halves. A short break happens between these halves.

However, that’s not the end, additional time can be added based on what happened in the game. This makes every game a bit unique.

How Long Do Football Games Normally Last?

Okay, so you’re wondering how long you need to set aside to watch a football game, right? It’s a good question! The answer isn’t as simple as saying “exactly two hours,” because it depends on the type of football we’re talking about. We’ve got American football, which is super popular in the United States, and then there’s soccer, which is also called football in most other places around the world. They are very different, and their game lengths are different too! Let’s break it down.

American Football Game Length: A Closer Look

When we talk about American football, like what you see in the NFL (National Football League) or college football, a game is officially supposed to last for 60 minutes. But here’s the catch: that 60 minutes is divided into four 15-minute quarters. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? However, if you’ve ever watched a game, you know it’s rarely that straightforward. This is because the clock stops quite often.

Why the Clock Stops in American Football

There are many situations in American football that make the clock stop. Here are some of the most common reasons:

• Incomplete Passes: When a player throws the ball and it doesn’t get caught, the clock stops.
• Out-of-Bounds Plays: If a player with the ball runs out of the playing area, the clock stops.
• Timeouts: Each team gets a few breaks called timeouts where they can talk strategy, and the clock stops during these.
• Change of Possession: When one team gets the ball from the other (like after a punt, interception or after a touchdown), the clock can stop.
• Penalties: When a player breaks a rule, the clock may also stop so the penalty can be discussed and imposed.
• Injuries: If a player gets hurt, the game pauses to make sure they receive help.
• Two-Minute Warning: At the end of the first half (second quarter) and the end of the game (fourth quarter), a special pause happens when the clock hits two minutes, to give teams a chance to make final moves.

All this stopping and starting means that a 60-minute football game can take a lot longer to actually watch. In reality, an NFL game often lasts for about three hours, sometimes even longer. College football games often run even longer, closer to three and a half hours, because of more frequent stoppages and longer half-time breaks. So, when someone says a football game takes about three hours, they’re usually talking about American football.

Breaking Down the Time: What to Expect in American Football

Let’s look at a typical American football game time breakdown:

• Actual Play Time: Around 60 minutes (four 15-minute quarters).
• Half-Time: About 12-15 minutes for NFL games, and often longer for college games
• Commercial Breaks: These add a lot of time, and can add up to about an hour.
• Stoppages: For timeouts, penalties, reviews, and other reasons as we discussed before, adding an variable amount of time.

So, when you add all of that together, you can see why a 60-minute game usually lasts about 3 hours or even longer.

Soccer (Football) Game Length: The Global Favorite

Now, let’s switch to the other kind of football – the one known as soccer in the United States. This sport, also called football in most countries, has a much more consistent game length. A typical soccer game consists of two 45-minute halves, with a break in the middle. So, the total scheduled playing time is 90 minutes. There is only one break in soccer match, in which is of 15 minutes known as half time. You might think that soccer game is shorter than American football. But like in American football, soccer also has stoppages.

Understanding Stoppage Time in Soccer

In soccer, the clock doesn’t stop like it does in American football. Instead, the referee adds “stoppage time” or “added time” at the end of each half. This added time is meant to make up for time lost during the game due to things like:

• Substitutions: When players are swapped out.
• Injuries: When players need medical attention.
• Time Wasting: Occasionally the referees will add time for time wasting actions by a player.
• Goal Celebrations: In some cases where goals are celebrated exuberantly the referee can add time for that too.

The referee decides how much time to add based on how much time was lost. Stoppage time can be short or long; it’s not fixed like the two-minute warning in American football. Because of this time being added, a 90 minute soccer game can take around 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Typical Soccer Game Time Breakdown

Here’s what you can typically expect from a soccer game:

• Playing Time: 90 minutes (two 45-minute halves).
• Half-Time: Usually around 15 minutes.
• Stoppage Time: Varies, usually adding a few extra minutes each half.

So, overall, a soccer game usually takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Factors That Can Change Game Length in Both Sports

While we’ve covered the typical game lengths, several things can change them in both American football and soccer.

Overtime in American Football

If an American football game is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, it goes into overtime. The rules for overtime are different in the NFL and college football, but both involve another period of play, which means additional time to the match. Overtime period can make the match even longer.

Extra Time and Penalty Shootouts in Soccer

In some soccer competitions, if a game is tied after 90 minutes, it may go to extra time, typically two 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, they can use penalty shootouts to determine a winner. These situations, obviously, can extend the duration of a soccer game.

Weather Delays

Bad weather, such as heavy rain or lightning storms, can cause delays in both American football and soccer games. These delays can be short or long, making it hard to predict how long the match will be.

Television Broadcasts

Both American football and soccer are popular on television, and networks need to show advertisements during the broadcasts. These advertisement breaks can also extend the total duration of both sports matches.

VAR in Soccer

The introduction of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) in soccer has caused some games to take longer. This is because referees can review plays on video, and this process can take time.

Game Length Comparison Table

To make things clearer, here’s a comparison table between typical game lengths for American football and soccer:

Why the Difference in Game Length?

You might be wondering, why are the game lengths so different? It comes down to the nature of the sports. American football is a stop-and-start game with breaks after every play, whereas soccer is designed to have fewer stoppages and more continuous play.

Another factor is the way the clock is managed in each sport. In American football, the clock stops a lot to give teams time to plan and run new plays. In soccer, the clock usually keeps running, and the time lost is added back at the end. This difference in how time is managed impacts the duration of each match.

Additionally, the television breaks have influence on the duration of the match. American football game have more commercial breaks as compared to soccer matches which also contributes to longer duration of match in American football.

Understanding these factors help you to plan your schedule around watching matches for each sport.

So, now you know that while both sports are called “football”, they have vastly different game lengths! American football is closer to a three-hour commitment, while soccer is usually done in under two hours. Enjoy watching the games and planning your game-watching schedule.

You Decide How Long Football Lasts 🔥😈🥶

Final Thoughts

A typical football game lasts approximately 90 minutes, broken into two 45-minute halves. This duration excludes halftime and any added injury time. Therefore, the total time spent watching a match is usually longer.

Halftime provides a break and can be 15 minutes. Referees add extra time at the end of each half. These are for stoppages. Understanding how long do football games normally last will help you plan your viewing time.