How Long Is a Netball Game?

The short answer: a full netball game is 60 minutes of playing time, split into four 15-minute quarters.

The longer answer depends on who is playing. Junior grades in New Zealand use much shorter quarters, Fast5 runs to a different format entirely, and once you add intervals and stoppages, a “60-minute” match usually keeps you at the courts for closer to an hour and a half.

The standard: 60 minutes in four quarters

A standard netball match is four quarters of 15 minutes each. Teams change ends at the end of every quarter.

Intervals between the first and second quarters and between the third and fourth quarters are four minutes, and half-time is 12 minutes — though it may be shortened to eight minutes if the organiser and both teams agree. These are the intervals used at the Netball World Cup.

Many club and social competitions run shorter breaks, commonly three minutes at the quarters and five at half-time, so check your own competition’s regulations rather than assuming.

How long a match really takes

Playing time is not the same as the time you need to set aside.

Under international intervals, 60 minutes of play plus 20 minutes of breaks comes to 80 minutes before a single stoppage. Add warm-up, the pre-match uniform and jewellery check, injury holds and any timeouts, and a top-level match commonly runs to around an hour and a half from first whistle to final siren.

Junior netball times in New Zealand

New Zealand’s junior programme, futureFERNS, does not use 15-minute quarters. Younger players get shorter games, smaller teams and a portion of each session devoted to skills rather than match play.

Year 1 and 2 sessions run 20 minutes of skills followed by 2 × 8-minute games, played 4 v 4 on one third of the court. Year 3 and 4 sessions run 15 minutes of skills followed by 4 × 8-minute quarters, played 5 v 5 over two thirds of the court.

Year 5 and 6 play 6 v 6 on a full court across 4 × 8-minute quarters.

Year 7 and 8 players move to the full 7 v 7 game.

Netball New Zealand has confirmed a change to the Year 5 and 6 format from 2027, designed to make the move into the seven-a-side game more gradual. Nothing changed in 2026.

Quarter lengths at community and school level are set by individual centres, so times vary from region to region. Our beginner’s guide to how to play netball covers the basics of the full game.

Club and secondary school netball

Senior club netball generally follows the 4 × 15-minute structure, but shorter quarters are common where courts are booked in tight blocks. Twelve-minute and ten-minute quarters both appear in local and social competitions.

If you are playing in a centre league, the reliable source is your competition’s own bylaws — these override the general rules on timing, substitutions and whether draws are permitted.

Elite netball: the ANZ Premiership

ANZ Premiership matches use the standard 4 × 15-minute format, with a few additions specific to the competition.

From the 2025 season, Netball New Zealand introduced a two-point shot in the final five minutes of each quarter, along with a designated coach’s box and one time-out per team per half.

That last-five-minutes window changes how the closing stages of each quarter are played, since a long-range attempt is suddenly worth double. In the ANZ Premiership the shooter must be at least 3.5 metres from the goalpost, compared with three metres in Suncorp Super Netball and the UK competition.

More on the domestic competition is on our ANZ Championship page, and the current rule set is covered in our netball rules guide.

Fast5: 24 minutes

Fast5 is a deliberately compressed version of netball built for television and tournament play.

Matches are only 24 minutes long, split into six-minute quarters, with five players per team and three scoring zones — shots from outside the goal circle are worth three points, and the goal circle itself is split into two-point and one-point zones.

Under World Netball’s Rules of FAST5, quarters are six minutes with intervals of up to two minutes.

The format also uses rolling substitutions and a nominated power play quarter in which one team’s points are doubled. Our Fast5 netball guide explains the full rule set.

Stoppages, timeouts and extra time

Who controls the clock

Timekeepers run the clock, working with the umpires, who signal when time is held and when play restarts. Players and coaches cannot stop the clock themselves.

A maximum of two minutes is allowed for an injury. Blood stoppages are handled the same way — the player must leave the court and cannot return until the bleeding has stopped.

If a penalty is awarded in the attacking goal circle before the time signal sounds, the period is extended so the penalty can be taken.

Extra time

Extra time is not automatic — the organiser decides before the match whether it will be used, which is common in finals. It is played as two halves of no more than seven minutes each with a one-minute interval, and if the scores are still level, play continues until one team leads by two goals.

That last provision is why a tied final can run well past the scheduled finish.

Why the timing structure shapes the game

Fifteen-minute quarters, four ends changes and a fixed number of stoppages produce a specific kind of contest. Teams that concede a run of goals have limited time to respond before the quarter break resets the momentum, and coaches only get structured access to their players at intervals.

The three-second rule compounds it: with a player allowed only three seconds on the ball, netball has very few natural pauses within a quarter. Combined with the restricted playing areas covered in our netball positions guide, that is what gives the sport its stop-start rhythm within a tightly bounded clock.

This article is provided for factual and informational purposes only. Match lengths, intervals and competition-specific rules are set by the governing bodies and individual competitions, and change from season to season. For the current rules, check World Netball and Netball New Zealand, or your own centre’s competition bylaws. Details on this page were verified in August 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a netball game?

A standard netball game is 60 minutes of playing time, made up of four 15-minute quarters. With intervals and stoppages, the match typically takes around 80 to 90 minutes from start to finish.

How long are the breaks in netball?

For international matches, four minutes between the first and second quarters and between the third and fourth, and 12 minutes at half-time — which may be reduced to eight minutes by agreement. Club competitions often use shorter breaks, commonly three and five minutes.

How long is a junior netball game in New Zealand?

It depends on the year group. Year 1 and 2 play two 8-minute halves after a skills session, Year 3 to 6 play four 8-minute quarters, and Year 7 and 8 move to the full seven-a-side game.

How long is a Fast5 netball match?

Twenty-four minutes, played as four six-minute quarters with short intervals between them.

What happens if a netball game is a draw?

In league fixtures, a draw usually stands. In finals and knockout matches, the organiser can call extra time: two halves of up to seven minutes, and if the score is still tied, play continues until one team leads by two goals.

Does the clock stop in netball?

Yes, for injury, illness and blood stoppages, with a maximum of two minutes allowed for an injury. Umpires signal to the timekeeper when time is held and when it restarts.

How long are ANZ Premiership matches?

Four 15-minute quarters, the same as international netball. Since 2025 each team also has one time-out per half, and a two-point shot applies in the final five minutes of every quarter.