Well, lemme tell ya, these high school football games, they ain’t no quick thing, no sirree. You gotta settle in, ya know? Grab yourself some snacks, maybe a blanket if it’s chilly. ‘Cause these things, they take a good chunk of your evenin’.
How long, you ask? Well, it ain’t always the same, see. But mostly, you’re lookin’ at around two to three hours, maybe even a bit more if things get outta hand. Yep, two or three hours, that’s the usual.
Now, they got these quarters, four of ’em, just like the big boys on TV. But in high school, them quarters ain’t quite as long. Some places they do 12 minutes a quarter, some do 15. Heck, I even heard tell of some places doin’ less for the younger kids, maybe 10 minutes or so. But mostly, it’s 12 minutes, that’s what I see most of the time.
- 12 minutes a quarter, that’s what I see most.
- Then they got that halftime break, you know?
- Gotta give the boys a rest, and the cheerleaders a chance to shake their pom-poms.
That halftime, well, that’s another 10 or 20 minutes, dependin’ on what all they gotta do. Sometimes they got the band playin’, sometimes they got fancy stuff goin’ on, sometimes it’s just the kids runnin’ around. But it takes time, ya see? So you gotta add that in.
So you got your four quarters, 12 minutes each, that’s 48 minutes of playin’ time right there. Then add in that halftime, say 15 minutes on average. And don’t forget, they stop the clock all the time, for penalties, for injuries, for timeouts… all sorts of things. That adds up, let me tell ya. That adds up real quick.
So, you do the math, 48 minutes of playin’, plus 15 minutes of halftime, that’s already over an hour. But with all them stops and starts, and timeouts, and whatnot, you gotta add on a whole bunch more time. That’s how you get to two or three hours. Easy peasy.
And sometimes, things go into overtime. Yep, if the score’s all tied up at the end, they gotta keep playin’ till somebody wins. That can add another half hour, easy. I’ve seen games go on and on, well past ten o’clock at night. It can get mighty cold sittin’ out there in them bleachers, lemme tell ya. You gotta be prepared.
Now, the NFL fellas, them professionals, they play longer quarters. Fifteen minutes each, that’s what they do. So their games go even longer. But high school, it’s mostly 12 minutes. That’s plenty long enough, if you ask me. These kids are runnin’ and hittin’ each other, they get tired. Twelve minutes is just fine.
So, there you have it. High school football game? Figure on two to three hours, maybe more. Bring a snack, bring a blanket, and be prepared to stay awhile. It ain’t no sprint, it’s a marathon, ya know? But it’s fun, though. Good clean fun, watchin’ them kids run around. Just gotta be patient, that’s all.
And don’t forget, sometimes the refs, they take their sweet time too! They gotta huddle up, talk things over, throw their little flags… that all takes time too. It all adds up. It all adds up to a long evenin’, but a good evenin’, if you like football, that is. If you don’t like football, well, then you probably ain’t gonna be sittin’ in them bleachers in the first place, now are ya?
Anyway, that’s the long and short of it. High school football games, they take a while. But that’s part of the fun, I guess. Gives ya somethin’ to do on a Friday night, right? Better than sittin’ at home watchin’ the dust bunnies gather under the couch, that’s for sure.
So go on out there, enjoy the game, and don’t forget your blanket!
Tags: [High School Football, Football Game Length, Game Duration, High School Sports, Friday Night Lights]
