How long are high school, college, and professional American football games?

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Jalen Hurts, wearing number 1 for the Philadelphia Eagles, winds up to throw a football during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVII against the Kansas City Chiefs. — American football Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during Super Bowl LVII, 2023; the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

In American football, the duration of a game is divided into two halves, with the total regulation playing time varying by the level of competition:

Professional and College: These games consist of two 30-minute halves, totaling 60 minutes of regulation play.1
High School (Scholastic): These games consist of two 24-minute halves, totaling 48 minutes of regulation play.1

It is important to note that these figures represent only the official clock time. Because the clock stops for various reasons—such as incomplete passes, players going out of bounds, team time-outs, and commercial breaks—actual games last significantly longer than the regulation time. For instance, National Football League games routinely exceed three hours in total duration.1