How Long Is an AFL Game? Quarters, Time-On and Breaks
How long an AFL game lasts: four 20-minute quarters plus time-on, how long quarters really run (season by season since 2001), the breaks, and what happens in a drawn final.
Updated
An AFL game has four quarters of 20 minutes of playing time. The clock stops for time-on whenever the umpire signals it, such as after a goal or behind, when the ball goes out of bounds or for an injury, so a quarter usually runs close to half an hour. A game takes about two hours of playing time, and around two and a half hours from the first bounce to the final siren once the breaks are added.
How long quarters really last
Average quarter length by season, from the match clock of every game on file:
| Season | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Playing time | Longest quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 31:03 | 31:02 | 31:20 | 31:21 | 2h 05m | 42:09 |
| 2025 | 31:41 | 31:52 | 31:51 | 31:51 | 2h 07m | 42:51 |
| 2024 | 31:03 | 31:09 | 31:25 | 31:36 | 2h 05m | 65:56 |
| 2023 | 31:01 | 31:00 | 31:26 | 31:20 | 2h 05m | 69:54 |
| 2022 | 30:52 | 30:53 | 31:09 | 31:14 | 2h 04m | 61:35 |
| 2021 | 30:26 | 31:16 | 30:54 | 31:02 | 2h 04m | 59:28 |
| 2020 | 25:39 | 25:43 | 25:19 | 25:22 | 1h 42m | 37:26 |
| 2019 | 30:28 | 30:26 | 30:54 | 30:31 | 2h 02m | 37:34 |
| 2018 | 30:17 | 30:18 | 30:45 | 30:16 | 2h 02m | 38:57 |
| 2017 | 30:23 | 30:26 | 30:52 | 30:44 | 2h 02m | 38:59 |
| 2016 | 29:57 | 30:19 | 30:22 | 30:14 | 2h 01m | 39:27 |
| 2015 | 30:05 | 30:32 | 30:56 | 30:36 | 2h 02m | 38:43 |
| 2014 | 29:50 | 30:08 | 30:35 | 30:16 | 2h 01m | 39:49 |
| 2013 | 29:51 | 29:52 | 30:21 | 30:01 | 2h 00m | 38:48 |
| 2012 | 30:23 | 30:21 | 30:40 | 30:34 | 2h 02m | 37:58 |
| 2011 | 30:54 | 30:47 | 31:11 | 31:05 | 2h 04m | 37:31 |
| 2010 | 30:40 | 30:45 | 30:58 | 30:37 | 2h 03m | 37:00 |
| 2009 | 30:19 | 30:32 | 30:41 | 30:07 | 2h 02m | 37:19 |
| 2008 | 29:44 | 30:02 | 30:06 | 30:13 | 2h 00m | 37:20 |
| 2007 | 29:55 | 29:32 | 29:54 | 29:45 | 1h 59m | 36:22 |
| 2006 | 29:22 | 29:19 | 29:23 | 29:16 | 1h 57m | 38:10 |
| 2005 | 30:12 | 30:18 | 30:24 | 30:18 | 2h 01m | 38:57 |
| 2004 | 29:53 | 29:51 | 30:02 | 29:39 | 1h 59m | 36:26 |
| 2003 | 29:48 | 29:38 | 29:46 | 29:51 | 1h 59m | 38:51 |
| 2002 | 30:02 | 30:18 | 30:22 | 30:11 | 2h 01m | 35:30 |
| 2001 | 30:17 | 30:20 | 30:29 | 30:19 | 2h 01m | 40:29 |
Quarters were cut to 16 minutes plus time-on in 2020, when the season was compressed during the pandemic, which is why that season's games were much shorter.
The breaks
There is a short break at quarter time and three-quarter time and a longer one at half-time, when players go to the rooms. Coaches come onto the ground at quarter time and three-quarter time to talk to their players.
Drawn games
Home-and-away games can end in a draw. Finals can't: a drawn final goes to extra time, and since 2016 that includes the Grand Final. The finals guide explains how the finals work.
Frequently asked questions
How long is an AFL quarter?
Twenty minutes of playing time plus time-on, which usually makes a quarter last close to 30 minutes.
How long does an AFL game take?
About two hours of playing time and around two and a half hours including the breaks.
Can an AFL game end in a draw?
Home-and-away games can. Finals go to extra time, and since 2016 so does a drawn Grand Final.