A standard high school basketball game consists of four 8-minute minutes, a 10- to 15-minute halftime break, and 1-minute breaks between the first and second and third and fourth periods. However, the entire duration of a basketball game might vary based on the amount of fouls, timeouts, and extra periods.
If the score is tied at the end of regulation, overtime begins with four-minute quarters and continues until the score is no longer tied. On February 29, 1964, Angier and Boone High Schools in North Carolina played 13 overtime periods in the longest ever boys basketball game. In 1969, East Ridge and Ooltewah High Schools in Tennessee played the longest ladies basketball game with 16 overtime periods. The National Federation of State High School Associations establishes the guidelines for high school basketball.
