NFHS - Game Times

[dr_donald_t]

Thanks for the info Nevadaref. Here's one more, if you have the NFHS rule book handy. I know Varsity and J.V. games are 40 minute halves. Are freshman games the same. Last season I was advised that freshman games were 35 minutes. I just would like to be sure. I have a freshman game this afternoon.
Thanks again,

~ dtm ~

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by dr_donald_t
Thanks for the info Nevadaref. Here's one more, if you have the NFHS rule book handy. I know Varsity and J.V. games are 40 minute halves. Are freshman games the same. Last season I was advised that freshman games were 35 minutes. I just would like to be sure. I have a freshman game this afternoon.
Thanks again,

~ dtm ~

Actually in most states the StateHSAA determines the game length below the varsity level. NFHS states that a H.S. game is eighty minutes: two 40 min. halves or four 20 min. quarters; in Ohio and Michigan it is two 40 min. halves. OhioHSAA rules are that jr. varsity and freshmen games will be two 36 min. halves and jr. H.S. games will be two 30 min. halves. While MichiganOhioHSAA rules are that jr. varsity and freshmen games will be two 35 min. halves and jr. H.S. games will be four 15 min. quarters.

[CecilOne]

I think the book recommends 30/15 minutes for sub-varsity.

[Nevadaref]

What others have already said is correct. In Nevada, we only have Varsity and JV teams, so freshman games are not an issue. We play two 40-minute halves for both levels.

To give you exactly what the NFHS rules book says:
Rule 7 Section 1 Art. 1
"...Two equal halves of 40 minutes each shall be played unless, by state high school association adoption, four equal quarters of 20 minutes each are specified. It is recommended that junior high schools play 30-minute halves unless by state high school association adoption, four equal quarters of 15 minutes each are specified."

I guess it comes down to how your area handles it and what grades are defined as middle school, junior high, and high school where you are.

[dr_donald_t]

Thanks everyone.
~ dtm ~

[CecilOne]

Originally posted by CecilOne
I think the book recommends 30/15 minutes for sub-varsity.

I stand corrected, that recommendation was for junior high, as NR said. Junior high (as opposed to middle school, etc.) is most commonly defined as 7th to 9th grade; so the presumption has to be that the 30/15 recommendation is for anything 9th grade or lower. Of course, the word "recommendation" makes the sentence useless anyway except to allow less than 2x40.