How many periods in college basketball? Learning more about NCAA rule book

College basketball and the NBA had similar rules initially. However, as the sport began to evolve, the rules also changed according to the changing styles of play. Now, the two leagues share very few similarities.

The first change for the NBA began with the way playing time is split. Regulation games run for 48 minutes, split into four 12-minute quarters with a 15-minute half-time break between the second and third quarters. Overtime periods are five minutes long. Things are a little different in the NCAA, though.

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How many periods in college basketball?

College basketball is 40 minutes long, but there's a slight difference in the way women's and men's basketball times are split.

Men's basketball follows a 20-20 playing time with a 15-minute halftime break. Women's basketball teams followed the same rule until 2015, when the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel let women's basketball games be played in four 10-minute quarters.

With the move, the NCAAW joined the NBA and WNBA in this pattern, leaving the NCAAM as the last one standing.

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Why do men's college basketball play halves instead of quarters?

The biggest reason is probably the tradition. When Dr. James Naismith created basketball in 1891, his original rule book said that the game would be "played in two 15-minute halves with rest time in between".

However, as the time was not enough for a high-scoring and competitive game, the rules were changed to two 20-minute halves in 1905. Later, in 1951, the rules were changed once again for four 10-minute quarters of basketball for both the NBA and NCAA. However, the NCAA reverted to the original format in 1954 and has maintained it since then.

This format ensures that the game is paced well without incessant breaks in between, which is the other prominent reason for the NCAA still sticking to this rule.

The lesser stops mean a steady flow of games with more scoring opportunities. Overall, the rule makes the games much more competitive, bringing in the large, dedicated audience that the NCAA enjoys.

One cannot talk about basketball without pointing out the revenue it brings, especially through media rights. The halves format has scope for four TV timeouts, while with the quarters, it's just three. Reduced timeouts would mean a cut in the revenue, which is something no league wants.

For now, men's college basketball is satisfied with where it is. While there have been whispers of officials looking for change, nothing concrete has been reported.

Do you think the men's basketball should follow the quarter format? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.