Netball's clock is playing time, not elapsed time. Umpires hold time for injury, illness and blood stoppages, and those minutes do not count towards the 15-minute quarter.
Community competitions often shorten quarters or breaks to fit more games onto each court, so the fixture or association by-laws are the final word for a local game.
Standard match timing
| Period | Length |
|---|---|
| 1st quarter | 15 minutes |
| Interval | 4 minutes |
| 2nd quarter | 15 minutes |
| Half-time | 12 minutes (or 8 minutes if agreed) |
| 3rd quarter | 15 minutes |
| Interval | 4 minutes |
| 4th quarter | 15 minutes |
| Total from first to last whistle | 76–80 minutes, plus held time |
Teams change ends every quarter
Teams swap ends at the start of each quarter, so a team attacks each goal for two quarters. That matters for coaching review: a side that struggles in the second and fourth quarters may be dealing with the same end of the court, the same lighting or the same wind on an outdoor court.
Extra time
Extra time only happens when the event organiser has announced it before the match. If scores are level at full-time, there is a 4-minute interval, then two halves of equal length of no more than 7 minutes each, with a 1-minute half-time and a change of ends.
If the scores are still tied after extra time, play continues until one team leads by two goals.
Junior and school netball
School, university and social competitions frequently use 10- or 12-minute quarters with shorter breaks. Check the draw before you plan your day around a fixture.
| Format | Playing time |
|---|---|
| NetSetGO Set tier | 4 × 8-minute quarters |
| NetSetGO Go tier | 4 × 10-minute quarters |
| Netball (standard) | 4 × 15-minute quarters |
Planning to film a whole game
- Allow about 90 minutes of recording for a standard match once warm-up and held time are added.
- Junior games are shorter, but back-to-back fixtures on the same court can add up to several hours.
- Check phone storage and battery before the first centre pass, not at half-time.
- The Trackd Mount has up to 8 hours of battery per charge and can charge your iPhone while recording, so a single game or a short carnival day is within range of one charge.
Official rules and related Trackd guides
Frequently asked questions
How many minutes is a netball quarter?
15 minutes of playing time in standard netball. NetSetGO juniors play 8-minute (Set) or 10-minute (Go) quarters.
How long is half-time in netball?
12 minutes under World Netball's 2024 rules, or 8 minutes when the event organiser and both teams agree.
How long is a netball game including breaks?
At least 76–80 minutes from the first whistle to the last: 60 minutes of play, two 4-minute intervals and an 8- or 12-minute half-time, plus any time held for stoppages.
Does netball have extra time?
Only if the organiser announced it before the match. It is two halves of up to 7 minutes each, then play continues until one team leads by two goals if still tied.
Film the whole netball game without holding a phone
Trackd turns a compatible iPhone into a court-side camera that follows play in Group Sports Netball mode, with no subscription required to track and record.