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How Long Is A High School Lacrosse Game?

Lacrosse is quickly becoming one of the favorite sports for high school students, and many Americans are beginning to take an interest in it.

If you just joined high school and want to play lacrosse or have a teen who plays the sport, it’s vital that you learn more about it.

This post will look at various aspects of this game, from the length of a high school lacrosse game to its rules.

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How Long Is A High School Lacrosse Game?

How Long Is A High School Lacrosse Game

A high school lacrosse game comprises four 12-minute quarters and 2-minute breaks between the quarters. There is a 10-minute halftime break between the second and third quarters. If the game ends in a tie at regular time, overtime periods are four minutes each until a team scores the winning goal.

To understand how long a lacrosse game takes, let’s look at the parts of the game that affect the length of time it’s played. 

Quarters: There are four quarters in every lacrosse game. The length of each quarter depends on what league you are in or what the rules of your association are.

Halftime: There is a break at halftime between the second and third quarters. This is when the coaches have the opportunity to spend more time and discuss strategy with the players while they rest. 

Timeouts: Each competition or league has its own set of rules regarding timeouts per game. In college lacrosse, you can take two timeouts per half, but in the premier lacrosse league, you can take three.

Overtime: The teams will go to overtime if they are tied after regulation time. Rules and minutes of overtime may differ according to the league or competition. Lacrosse overtimes are usually sudden death events.

To learn more about the rules of the game you can watch this video below:

How Long Is A Youth Lacrosse Game?

A boys youth lacrosse game consists of 4x 8-minute quarters making the total playtime 32 minutes with 2-minute breaks between quarters. The halftime break is ten minutes. If there is no winner at regular time, the overtime period usually comprises 4-minute periods, and the game ends when a team scores.

Although a youth lacrosse game is shorter than high school or college games, the rules and structure of the game remain the same.

How Long Do College Lacrosse Games Last?

College lacrosse games are probably the most intense as they play longer than any other age group. 

A college lacrosse game comprises four 15-minute quarters with a 2-minute break between quarters. The halftime period is typically ten minutes, and college lacrosse players are allowed up to three timeouts per game. The overtime period consists of 4-minute periods, and the game ends when one team scores a winner. 

The average lacrosse collegiate game time lasts about 2 hours.

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How Long Is A Girl’s Lacrosse Game?

How Long Is A Girl's Lacrosse Game

A girl’s youth game consists of two 12-minute halves, totaling 24 min. With halftime and overtime, the entire game will be played within an hour. 

On the other hand, women’s college lacrosse game is played in two 30-minute halves, so the total game time is 60 minutes. Overtime is six minutes long, and it comprises 3-minute halves – the lacrosse team that scores first wins the match. 

How Long Are Girl’s High School Lacrosse Games?

Girl’s high school lacrosse games last 50 minutes, consisting of two 25 minutes halves. If the game ends in a tie, there’s 6-minute overtime comprising two 3-minute halves, and the team that finally scores first becomes the winner. A youth girls lacrosse game last 24 minutes (two 12-minute halves).

How Long Is A Men’s Lacrosse Game?

A men’s lacrosse game comprises four 15-minute quarters making the total playtime 60 minutes. There are 2-minute breaks between quarters and a 10-minute halftime break between the second and third quarters. If the game ends in a tie at regular time, there is a 4-minute sudden-death overtime period.

College lacrosse game length averages out to around 2 hours. 

How Long Are Men’s High School Lacrosse Games?

Men’s high school lacrosse games consist of 48 minutes of playtime divided into four 12-minute quarters. There are two-minute breaks between the quarters and a 10-minute halftime break. If you add the 2-minute breaks and 10-minute halftime, you can expect at least 65 minutes per game without overtime. With overtime, the average lacrosse game time can be 1h45.

You can find all the important times for lacrosse games at each level in the table below:

Skill Level
Quarters / HalvesBreaks / Half TimeTime OutsOver TimeAvg Time
Youth32 min
(4 x 8 min quarters)
10 min Halftime
2 x 2 min / quarter
2 per half4 min1 hr
High School48 min
(4 x 12 min quarters)
10 min Halftime
2 x 2 min / quarter
2 per half4 min1h45
College60 min
(4 x 15 min quarters)
10 min Halftime
2 x 2 min / quarter
2 per half4 min2 hr
Girl's Youth24 min
(2 x 12 min halves)
10 min Halftime2 per half4 min1h
Girl's High School50 min
(2 x 25 min halves)
10 min Halftime
2 per half4 min1h30
Girl's College60 min
(2 x 30 min halves)
10 min Halftime2 per half6 min2 hr
Premier League48 min
(4 x 12 min quarters)
15 min Halftime
2 x 2 min quarter break
3 per game10 min2 hr+

How Many Periods In Lacrosse?

There are four periods in lacrosse, and each period’s length depends on the level of competition. For instance, college lacrosse consists of 15-minute quarters, while high school lacrosse games comprise 4x 12-minute quarters. Halftime breaks in lacrosse games are typically ten minutes.

Women’s lacrosse is played in halves instead of quarters. Girl’s youth lacrosse has two 12-minute halves; girls’ high school lacrosse has two 25-minute halves, and girls’ college lacrosse has 2 x 30-min halves. 

How Many Quarters In High School Lacrosse?

How Many Quarters In High School La

High school lacrosse comprises four 12-minute quarters. There are two-minute breaks between the quarters except for the 10-minute halftime interval between the second and third quarters. If a high school lacrosse game ends in a tie, 4-minute overtime periods are applied till a team scores.

Factors That Affect High School Lacrosse Game Length

The game length of a high school lacrosse game depends on the following factors:

Quarters

There are four quarters in high school lacrosse. These quarters are 12-minutes each, so the total playtime for the four quarters is 48 minutes of regulation time. Players go on two-minute breaks after each quarter, with the only exception being the ten-minute half-time break after the second quarter.

If you factor in the two-minute breaks and the halftime period, a typical high school lacrosse game lasts around 65 minutes. Note that a few lacrosse games are played in halves. For example, girls’ high school lacrosse is played in two 25-minute halves.

Halftime

The halftime period in lacrosse comes between the second and third quarters. This 10-minute interval is the most extended break of the game, and it provides teams with the opportunity to relax after playing the first and second quarters.

It’s also when coaches can inform players of changes in tactics or point out what players have been doing wrong. In high school games with fans, halftime breaks are the perfect time to get snacks and drinks and plan your restroom breaks.

Timeouts

Timeouts also impact a lacrosse game’s length. The length of timeouts depends on the level of the competition or the competition’s rules. In high school lacrosse, teams are allowed two timeouts per half. This works out to one per quarter, but you can take both in a single quarter. Any timeouts not taken within the first half do not carry over into the second half.

Overtime

The total playtime, including breaks between quarters and halftime, is 65 minutes without overtime. If the game ends in a tie, overtime periods are 4-minutes each. During overtime, the game ends when one of the teams scores the winning goal.

Related Lacrosse Questions

How long is a lacrosse season?

The length of a lacrosse season depends on the level of the competition. High school lacrosse season lasts for about three months, from March until early June. On the other hand, college lacrosse begins in the middle of February, and the finals are played during the Memorial Day weekend.

How long is a lacrosse game UK?

Lacrosse games in the UK consist of four 20-minute quarters making the game time 80 minutes, and an overtime period if the game ends in a tie. The length of lacrosse quarters is usually shorter in lower levels of the competition, such as in secondary school, where games comprise 12-minute quarters.

How long is a lacrosse game NLL?

National Lacrosse League (NLL) is a men’s professional box lacrosse league, which is the indoor version of field lacrosse. Games comprise 4x 15-minute quarters and a halftime break of 16-minutes between the second and third quarters. There are 2-minute breaks between the other quarters. If there is no winner at regular time, teams play overtime periods where the first team to score wins.

Does the clock stop in lacrosse?

Unlike high school soccer, lacrosse game time is ‘running time,’ and the timer does not stop during normal stoppages of the game. The timer is stopped when the whistle blows for a goal, for an injury, for official timeouts, and at the end of each playing period. The clock should also be stopped when a foul is called in the critical scoring area during the last two minutes of each half.

How long can you carry the ball in lacrosse?

In the professional and collegiate levels of lacrosse, players can only hold the ball for a maximum of 60 seconds before attempting a shot on goal. Also, goalkeepers cannot hold the ball in the creases for more than 4 seconds. Shot clocks ensure the game’s pace is not slowed down.

Can you kick the ball in lacrosse?

In boys’ and men’s lacrosse, kicking the ball is permitted, but in girls’ and women’s lacrosse, kicking the ball is not allowed for those playing below the U12 level. Kicking the ball in lacrosse is a great strategy that gives the players the ability to scoop the ball easily when in tight areas.

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Who invented lacrosse?

Lacrosse has its origins in native America, where the game was initially referred to as stickball. The Algonquian tribe first played the game in the St. Lawrence Valley region, and then the other native American tribes in the Eastern part of North America took up the game.

You should have found out the answer to how long is a high school lacrosse game in this article. When watching a live lacrosse game, it might be wise to devote at least 90 minutes to the actual game itself. When playing the game yourself, make sure you have the stamina and energy level necessary to play for the entire duration of the game.