Football game lengths depend on the specific type of football:
- Association Football (Soccer):
- Standard match consists of two 45-minute halves (90 minutes total).
- Add a 15-minute halftime break.
- Stoppage time (added by referee for injuries, substitutions, reviews) typically extends the match by about 5-15 minutes.
- Total duration usually around 105 minutes.
- In knockout matches, extra time of two 15-minute halves (30 minutes) plus breaks can extend the game to over 140 minutes, followed by possible penalty shootouts if needed.
- American Football (NFL):
- Official game time is 60 minutes, divided into four 15-minute quarters.
- Due to timeouts, reviews, commercials, halftime, and other breaks, actual game time averages about 3 hours and 12 minutes.
- Halftime in the NFL usually lasts about 12 minutes (longer for events like the Super Bowl).
- College football games are slightly longer, averaging 3 hours and 24 minutes, with a 20-minute halftime.
In summary:
- Soccer games are about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours long including breaks and stoppage time.
- NFL games, although having only 60 minutes of play, typically last over 3 hours because of stoppages and commercial breaks.
