NFL Quarter Rules

If you're fairly new to the game of football, odds are you've wondered exactly how long a professional game lasts and how the clock management system is set up. In the NFL, games are played under an established set of NFL quarter rules. As the name suggests, the 60-minute game is split into a total of four different periods, two of which comprise each half.

  1. First Quarter

    • The first quarter is 15 minutes long and begins with the opening kickoff. After the end of the first quarter, there is a 2-minute break before the start of the second quarter.

    Second Quarter

    • The second quarter is 15 minutes long and begins with the opening kickoff. Play picks up where it left off in the first quarter. The end of the second period also marks the end of the first half of play, and there is a 12-minute halftime break before the start of the third quarter.

    Third Quarter

    • The third quarter is 15 minutes long and begins with the second-half kickoff. As with the first quarter, there is a 2-minute break between the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth period.

    Fourth Quarter

    • As with the previous three quarters, the fourth period is 15 minutes long. After a 2-minute break, play picks up where it had left off at the end of the third. In most cases, the end of the fourth quarter signifies the end of the football game.

    Overtime

    • In the event that the two teams playing the game are tied at the end of the fourth quarter, one or more extra 15 minute periods, called overtime, are added to the game and played under sudden death rules. In the regular season, a maximum of one additional period is played, though in the playoffs play continues until one of the two clubs scores.