How long is a hockey match?
B · Beginner · How does a match work, and how is it won? · 3 of 12A hockey match is four quarters of 15 minutes, so 60 minutes of playing time. There is a two-minute break after the first and third quarters and a 10-minute half-time. Because the clock stops for goals, penalty corners and some other events, a match usually takes well over 80 minutes.
How it works
- Four quarters of 15 minutes of playing time.
- Two minutes between the first and second quarters and between the third and fourth; 10 minutes at half-time.
- The teams change ends at half-time, so each attacks each goal for two quarters.
- The teams can agree other lengths, unless the competition sets them.
- A quarter does not end in the middle of a penalty corner: play goes on until it is completed, along with any further penalty corner or penalty stroke that follows from it.
- Umpires can give a decision they were about to give when time ran out, and can review an incident from immediately before the end of a quarter.
- Umpires signal two minutes left with both index fingers raised and one minute left with one.
Tricky cases
Can a goal be scored after the hooter?
Yes, from a penalty corner awarded before time ran out and from any corner or penalty stroke that follows from it. Open play ends when time runs out.
Do players get a break between every quarter?
Yes. Two minutes after the first and third quarters, and 10 minutes at half-time.
Was the half-time interval always 10 minutes?
No. The 2026 rules fixed it at 10 minutes, the length most matches already used.
Why the rule exists
Quarters give regular short rests in a fast, tiring game. The rule that a penalty corner is completed after time runs out stops a defending side from running down the clock on one.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FIH rules | 4 × 15 minutes; breaks of 2, 10 and 2 minutes; teams may agree otherwise | H5.1 |
| Competitions | Can set their own periods in their regulations | H5.1 guidance |
| Indoor hockey and Hockey5s | Separate rules, not covered | Not covered |
From the rule book
FIH Rules of Hockey, Rules 5.1, 6.2 and 13.4, and Umpiring 4.1, in force from 1 March 2026. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: FIH Rules of Hockey (PDF).