<P> Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two - halves of 30 minutes and four - quarters of 15 minutes . High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two - halves of 24 minutes and four - quarters of 12 minutes . The two - halves are separated by a halftime period , and the first and third quarters are also followed by a short break . Prior to the start of the game , the referee and team captains for each team meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team is allowed to call ' heads ' or ' tails ' ; the winner of the toss is allowed to decide between choosing whether to receive or kick off the ball or choosing which goal they want to defend , but they can also defer their choice until the second half . The losing team , unless the winning team decides to defer , is allowed to choose the option the winning team did not select , and receives the option to receive , kick , or select a goal to defend to begin the second half . Most teams choose to receive or defer , because choosing to kick the ball to start the game would allow the other team to choose which goal to defend . Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters . If a down is in progress when a quarter ends , play continues until the down is completed . </P>
<P> Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two - halves of 30 minutes and four - quarters of 15 minutes . High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two - halves of 24 minutes and four - quarters of 12 minutes . The two - halves are separated by a halftime period , and the first and third quarters are also followed by a short break . Prior to the start of the game , the referee and team captains for each team meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team is allowed to call ' heads ' or ' tails ' ; the winner of the toss is allowed to decide between choosing whether to receive or kick off the ball or choosing which goal they want to defend , but they can also defer their choice until the second half . The losing team , unless the winning team decides to defer , is allowed to choose the option the winning team did not select , and receives the option to receive , kick , or select a goal to defend to begin the second half . Most teams choose to receive or defer , because choosing to kick the ball to start the game would allow the other team to choose which goal to defend . Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters . If a down is in progress when a quarter ends , play continues until the down is completed . </P>
how long is a quarter in a nfl football game
how long is a quarter in a nfl football game
15 minutes
15 minutes