How Long is NFL Halftime?
Short answer: 13 minutes. That's the length written into the NFL's playing rules for the intermission between halves — long enough to grab a drink, not long enough to start a load of laundry.
The 13-minute rule
The halftime clock starts the moment the second quarter ends and runs until the second-half kickoff. Because teams still have to leave the field and come back, the break you experience as a viewer usually feels like 13 to 15 minutes.
Want the exact time left in a game happening right now? Check the live NFL halftime clock for today's games.
Super Bowl: 20–30+ minutes
The Super Bowl is the big exception. Its halftime stretches to roughly 20 to 30+ minutes so the crew can roll out the stage, run the Halftime Show, and clear the field again. That's more than double a normal break.
How the NFL compares to other sports
- NFL: 13 minutes, one break.
- College football: 20 minutes, one break.
- Soccer: up to 15 minutes, one break — see the soccer halftime guide.
- NHL: 18 minutes, two intermissions — see the NHL intermission guide.
How long is a whole NFL game?
Four 15-minute quarters add up to 60 minutes on the game clock, but a broadcast typically runs 3 to 3.5 hours once you add stoppages, timeouts, reviews, commercials, and halftime.
NFL halftime — frequently asked questions
- How long is NFL halftime?
- NFL halftime is 13 minutes under the league's playing rules. The clock starts when the second quarter ends and runs until the second-half kickoff, so in practice the break you see on TV is close to 13 to 15 minutes once the teams walk off and back on.
- How long is Super Bowl halftime?
- Super Bowl halftime is much longer than a regular-season break — typically around 20 to 30+ minutes. The extra time is needed to build and tear down the stage for the Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.
- How long is halftime in college football?
- College football halftime is 20 minutes under NCAA rules — significantly longer than the NFL's 13 minutes, largely to make room for marching band performances.
- How long is the break between quarters in the NFL?
- The break between the first and second quarter, and between the third and fourth quarter, is two minutes. Only the break between halves is a full 13-minute halftime.