College football is back, and that means more people are falling in love with America’s best sport.
The rules are a bit different in college football compared to other sports, so College Football Network has you covered.
How many quarters are there in a college football game?
How Many Quarters Are in a College Football Game?
College football games have 60 minutes of game time, divided into four 15-minute quarters. Unlike some sports, the clock stops for various events, such as changes of possession, replay reviews, and incomplete passes.
There is a small break between each quarter for a television timeout and to “flip the field.” In between each quarter, the teams switch directions, so if Team A moves the ball west in the first quarter, they’ll move the ball east in the second quarter. This can have a huge impact on the game, especially in games with inclement weather.
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After the short break between the first and second quarters, play resumes as normal. Whenever a team has the ball, it will take over at the place on the field and the down and distance dictated by the conclusion of the last play of the first quarter. The same is true for the break between the third and fourth quarters.
However, the end of the second quarter marks the beginning of halftime. Here, the teams head back to their individual locker rooms for an extended break before restarting in the second half. The score stays the same, but the team that kicked off to begin the game will receive the kickoff to start the second half.
When Does the Quarter End in College Football?
If the clock runs out at the end of a quarter while the teams are in between plays, the quarter will end immediately.
However, if the clock hits zero in the middle of a play, that play continues until its conclusion, when a pass falls incomplete, a field goal crosses the end line, or a player is tackled, runs out of bounds, or scores.
If a touchdown is scored to end a quarter, the extra point or two-point conversion is attempted during that quarter unless that score ends the game and the extra try is deemed unimportant to the outcome.
The half (second or fourth quarter) cannot end on a defensive penalty, and if a foul is called on the defense during a play that ends with no time remaining on the clock, the offense will be granted one “untimed” down before the end of the half. The half concludes at the end of that play.
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