How long are games, and how many time-outs does each team get?
Rule- England
- Basketball England
- Junior NBL
- Under 12
- Under 14
- Under 16
- Under 18
- 2026/27
- Parents
Junior NBL games are played under the FIBA Official Basketball Rules unless Basketball England's regulations say otherwise:
- Four quarters of 10 minutes, with 2-minute breaks after the 1st and 3rd quarters.
- Half-time: 10 minutes for junior fixtures (15 for seniors). Both teams can agree with the officials to shorten it; if they disagree, the longer time asked for applies, up to the maximum.
- Time-outs: 2 in the first half and 3 in the second half (no more than 2 of these once the clock shows 2:00 or less in the 4th quarter), plus 1 in each overtime. Unused time-outs don't carry over.
- Shot clock: a visible 24/14-second shot clock is required in Under 18 and Under 16 Premier leagues.
Games are normally played on Saturdays or Sundays, and the court must be available for warm-up 20 minutes before tip-off.
Added 21 Oct 2026