BASKETBALL QUARTERS – MSport UG

BASKETBALL QUARTERS

All NBA games are 4 quarters long. The only exception occurs when both teams are tied at the end of regulation. When this happens, the teams must play an overtime period that is 5 minutes long. The teams must play an endless amount of 5-minute overtime periods until a winner is declared.

In regulation, there are 4 quarters that last 12 minutes each. This means that there are 48 minutes in regulation.

QUARTER 1 : 12:00
QUARTER 2 : 12:00
QUARTER 3: 12:00

If the score is equal at the end of the regulation, extra quarters of game time are played to determine the winning team. In the NBA, overtime period last five minutes. The team with the most points at the end of the overtime quarter is the winner.

After the first and third quarters, teams receive a break that is two and a half minutes long. Halftime takes place after the second quarter and is a much longer break of 15 minutes.

Other Time Related Parts of The Game

Shot Clock

In the NBA, the shot clock has always been 24 seconds. Any time a team gains possession of the ball, the shot clock begins its countdown. The team with the ball has 24 seconds to shoot the ball and at least hit the rim before a shot clock violation is called. This results in a turnover and the ball being given to the opposing team.

Timeouts

During NBA games, each team is allotted seven timeouts per game. Each timeout is exactly 1 minute and 15 seconds long. If the game goes to overtime, each team is allowed to take two more timeouts. In the fourth quarter, teams cannot take more than four timeouts.

Two mandatory timeouts must be taken during each period of time. If the clock ticks below the seven-minute mark and neither team has taken a timeout, a mandatory timeout will be taken at the next dead ball and given to the home team. If the clock gets below three minutes with no timeouts taken, a second mandatory timeout is taken and charged to the road team.