How long is a netball match?
I · Intermediate · The game · 1 of 5A match is four quarters of 15 minutes, with four-minute breaks after the first and third and a 12-minute half-time. Teams change ends each quarter. If the organiser requires a winner, a tie brings extra time: two halves of up to seven minutes, then play goes on until one team is two goals ahead. Two umpires each control half the court.
How it works
- Quarters: four of 15 minutes.
- Breaks: four minutes.
- Half-time: 12 minutes, or 8 if agreed.
- Ends: change each quarter.
- Extra time: two halves of up to 7 minutes.
- Still tied: two-goal lead.
- Umpires: two, a half each.
- Reserve umpire: at the bench.
The glossary has the quarter, the extra time, the umpire, the reserve umpire, the scorers and timekeepers and the variations for other levels of play.
Tricky cases
Is extra time always played?
No. Only if the organiser has said so.
Can a lower league play halves?
Yes, up to 20 minutes.
Who covers if an umpire is hurt?
The reserve umpire.
Do teams change ends in extra time?
Yes, at its half-time.
Why the rule exists
A two-goal lead stops a single lucky goal deciding a long extra time.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Half-time | 12 or 8 | L 2.2 |
| Extra time | 7 minutes | L 2.5 |
| Other levels | Halves | L 21 |
From the rule book
World Netball, Rules of Netball (2024), Rules 2, 4, 5 and 21. Checked 15 October 2026. Official document: World Netball Rules of Netball 2024.