The origin of basketball dates back to the 19th century, and the sport was not intended to be broadcast on a large scale when it was invented. On the contrary, its objective was above all to allow American university students to continue their physical activity indoors, when the weather did not allow it, or when the baseball and football season was over.
However, it must be recognized that basketball eventually won over many followers, becoming one of the national sports of the United States. But despite a growing fanbase, some spectators are not always comfortable with the rules of basketball. We are interested here in the duration of a basketball game, which can change depending on the federation.
The importance of time in basketball
If you have ever attended a basketball game from near or far, you may have noticed that time management is essential in this sport. Indeed, it is not uncommon for players to run as much after the ball as after the stopwatch, which makes them a full participant.
And for good reason, unlike other team sports, where the duration is a much more approximate value, in basketball, every second count. This explains in particular the presence of clocks and counters at both ends of the field. Thus, each team can follow the time precisely, and sometimes adapt its strategies accordingly.
Thus, you will regularly see baskets marked decisively at the very last second. Certain anthology matches prove it, particularly within the American League, the famous NBA. From the overall duration to the actions of the players, everything in basketball is governed by the laws of time.
The duration of a basketball game
The length of a basketball game actually depends on the setting in which it takes place. There are indeed three categories that stand out, and each of them is practiced on a large scale.
In the NBA (American national league), a match takes place in 4 intervals of 12 minutes, for a total duration of 48 minutes of play, not counting the breaks.
Within the framework of the FIBA (international basketball federation), the principle of the quarter-time is maintained, but over periods of 10 minutes. The duration of the match is therefore 40 minutes.
American college basketball game is played in two 20-minute halves and there is 15 minutes break between these two halves, so usually it lasts up to 55 minutes excluding foul calls.
Other important durations
But the duration of the matches is not everything, and the players particularly know it. In particular, there are actions whose duration is limited, at the risk of causing a fault. In addition, the notion of equality does not exist in basketball. You should therefore know that:
The offensive team cannot stay in the opponent’s racket for more than 3 seconds.
During the engagement, the players have 24 seconds to score a basket, otherwise, the ball will return to the starting point.
In case of a tie at the end of a match, extra time is given to complete the match. Five additional minutes are given until a team wins the match.
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