During every football game there is a halftime intermission between the 2nd and 3rd quarter. This break allows players, teams and fans to re-group, take a break and get ready for the second half.
If you’re watching an intense football game, it’s important to know how long the halftime intermission is so you don’t miss out on any of the action.
Halftime intermissions in football last between 13-15 minutes depending upon the league and level of play. Halftimes in the NFL officially last 13 minutes long during the regular season and 30 minutes during the Super bowl. College football halftimes are longer and last 15 to 20 minutes. In high school football the halftime intermission typically last 10 to 15 minutes. With youth football halftimes lasting only 5 to 10 minutes.
Sometimes the half time intermission can seem like they take forever, especially with all the commercial breaks and half time shows. This is especially true if your excited an anxious to see your team play in the second half.
In this article, I’ll explain exactly how long football halftimes are at the different levels of play and discuss what goes behind the scenes, and what you should expect during this mid game intermission.
Football Halftime
In football there are four quarters with a small intermission between the 2nd and 3rd quarter called halftime. On average a football halftime last anywhere between 13 to 20 minutes depending on the level and league.
Here is a quick overview of how long halftime take during a football game by level.
Average Football Halftime Length
| Level | Halftime Intermission |
| NFL | 13 Minutes |
| College (NCAA) | 15-20 Minutes |
| High School | 15-20 Minutes |
| Youth | 5-10 Minutes |
Now let’s review what exactly goes on during halftime and how long you should expect halftime to be at the different levels of football.
How Long is Halftime in the NFL?
According to the NFL rule book the halftime intermission lasts 13 minutes. During halftime, play is suspended, and teams will leave the field and head back into their locker rooms. The officials will time intermission and inform the teams when play will resume.
During halftime players will briefly rest and recover from the first part of the game and discuss the second half game plan and make any needed adjustments to their strategy.
The football halftime also serves as a break for fans and often features entertainment, such as music and other performance. If you are watching an NFL game on television, there will be a lot of commercial breaks and a halftime show where football analysts will talk about the game and show high lights.
The Super Bowl halftime intermission is about twice as long as regular season halftimes and last around 30 minutes. This is because they have a special musical performance that usually takes around 13 to 15 minutes.
Once halftime is over, teams will come onto the field and start warming up for the second half. When everyone is ready to resume play the ball will be kicked off to the team that didn’t receive the ball at the start of the game.
How Long is Halftime in College Football?
College football halftimes are 15-20 minute intermissions. This is much longer when compared to the NFL halftimes. The main reason for this is because college marching bands are a big part of the college football culture and will often perform during halftime.
This 20-minute break allows for both team’s bands to perform, players and coaches to re-group and allow fans to take a restroom break and grab some food.
Once the bands are done performing, players will begin coming onto the field and will start warming up. The kickers and punters are usually the first players to return and will be followed by the rest of their team members.
When the 20 minutes has ended halftime will be over and the second half will begin. The second half officially starts when a team kicks off to the opposing team who didn’t receive the ball at the beginning of the game.
How Long is Halftime in High School Football?
During a high school football game, the halftime intermission varies based upon the school and conference you are in. In general, high school football halftimes last between 15-20 minutes long.
This small break gives the teams an opportunity to rest and time to go over game strategy and adjustments that need to be made in the second half.
Before resuming play in the second half teams will return to the field before halftime is over and warm up. Once the intermission has ended, play will resume by one team kicking to the other team. The team that kicks is the team that received the ball at the start of the game.
How Long is Halftime in Youth Football?
As you can imagine youth football games are much different than the higher levels. The halftime intermissions length can vary depending upon the league, but in general last between 5 & 10 minutes. (Source: cdn4.com)
This is much shorter than other levels of football. During this break kids will have time to rest, get a drink a water, receive coaching and go to the bathroom if needed.
Once the official time has passed the game will resume and the second half will begin with a kickoff just like at the other levels.
How Long Are Football Games?
When attending or watching a football game another important thing to understand is how long the games will last.
The average length of a football game varies by level of play and league. However, in general football games last an average of 3 hours.
Here is a quick overview of how long football games last at the different levels:
Average Football Game Length
| Skill Level | Quarters | Average Time |
| NFL | 15 minutes | 3 hours 12 minutes |
| College | 15 minutes | 3 hours 24minutes |
| High School | 12 minutes | 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes |
| Youth | 8 minutes | 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes |
For more in-depth information on how long a football game takes and what you can expect, check out this article called: How Long Are Football Games?
Final Thoughts
In many team sports like football the game is separated into two halves. Between these two halves is an intermissions called half time where players, teams and fans get a break from the action.
I hope this article has helped you understand how long football half times are at the different levels of the sport and what goes on during this quick intermission.
For more great football content make sure to check out our other articles on our website.