Well, lemme tell ya, these high school football games, they ain’t short, that’s for sure. You see them young fellas runnin’ up and down the field, and you think it’ll be over quick. But it ain’t. Not one bit. How long does an average high school football game last? Lord, it feels like forever sometimes!
They got these things called quarters, four of ’em. Each one is supposed to be, what, 12 minutes long? High school football game, they say, got 48 minutes total. Four times 12, that’s 48. Sounds right to me. But that ain’t the whole story, not by a long shot.
- First, they gotta warm up. They stretch and run around.
- Then they play the game, them four quarters.
- Then, they do whatever it is after the game.
Then there’s that break in the middle, halftime they call it. Now that’s a long one. They say it can be up to 28 minutes. 28 minutes! What do they do for 28 minutes? They could be 24 minutes, too. For junior games, no longer than 20 minutes. That’s a long time to be sittin’ there, waitin’ for the boys to come back on the field. I seen folks fall asleep, I tell ya!
And you know how it is, sometimes one team’s real good, and the other, well, not so much. They got some rule, “mercy rule” or somethin’. But seems like that don’t happen in these games, or maybe I just don’t know how it works. They just keep playin’, even if one team’s way ahead. That can make it feel even longer, I reckon. An average high school football game last around 2-3 hours, they say.
They say an average high school football game lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes. But it feels longer. I heard the longest one was 4 hours! Can you imagine? 4 hours! They must have been exhausted! That’s a whole lotta football, I tell ya.
So you got your quarters, your halftime, and then all them other things. They gotta stop the clock for this and that. Somebody gets hurt, they stop the clock. They gotta measure for a first down, they stop the clock. It’s all that stoppin’ and startin’ that makes it take so long. Adds a whole lot of time to them 48 minutes, it sure does. They say the game should take 60 minutes, but those stops make it three or more hours.
I remember one time, went to see my grandson play. Bless his heart, he tried so hard. But that game, it went on and on. Felt like we were there all day. Got dark, got cold. But we stayed, cheered him on. That’s what you do for family, right? You endure those long high school football game hours.
They say 2 to 3 hours, that’s how long a high school football game usually is. Depends on how fast they play, I guess. And how much they gotta stop and start. And if one team’s way better than the other. Lots of things make it longer or shorter. But mostly longer. If you wanna know how long is the average high school football game, you need to know these secrets.
So, if you’re goin’ to a high school football game, be prepared to stay a while. Bring a cushion for them bleachers, they ain’t comfy. And maybe a blanket, ’cause it can get chilly at night. And don’t expect to be home in time for your favorite TV show. These games, they got a mind of their own when it comes to time.
But you know what? It’s worth it. Seein’ them boys out there, givin’ it their all. Hearin’ the crowd cheer, watchin’ the band play. It’s a good time, even if it is a long time. Just gotta know what you’re gettin’ into. It ain’t a quick in-and-out kinda thing. It’s a whole evenin’ of football. And that’s alright by me.
