How Long is a Lacrosse Game
Youth, high school, college and pro: how long the clock runs at every level, and how long you’ll actually be in the bleachers.
Four 15-minute quarters. High school boys usually play 48 minutes; youth games run shorter.
With breaks, timeouts and a stop clock, plan on 80 to 120 minutes for a high school game.
Plenty of new lacrosse players and sports fans want to know how long a lacrosse game is. Just like any team sport, the length of a lacrosse game varies across playing levels and governing bodies.
Almost 900 years ago, the game we now call lacrosse, sometimes known as “stickball,” could be played for days. All age groups played in the same game: a 7-year-old boy could be playing alongside a 35-year-old man and hundreds of others. As the game moved through history, the rules changed, and governing bodies, levels of play, and rules and regulations were introduced. (Read more: Where did lacrosse originate?)
Lacrosse tiers, clocks and game formats
Today, lacrosse is divided into four tiers based on age and level of play, and each tier has a different game length:
- Youth (roughly U6 through U14/U15)
- High school
- College (NCAA and club)
- Professional (PLL, NLL and the women’s pro game)
There are two types of game clocks used to determine the length of a lacrosse game:
- Running clock: the clock keeps running through most dead balls. Common in youth games and to keep tournaments on schedule.
- Stop clock: the clock stops on whistles (goals, out-of-bounds, penalties, timeouts), so real time runs much longer than the clock. Standard in high school, college and pro.
Game time is also split one of two ways:
- Quarters: four periods, used in boys’ and men’s lacrosse and now in college women’s lacrosse.
- Halves: two periods, the traditional format for girls’ and women’s lacrosse at many levels.
Read more: 10 essential lacrosse skills every player should develop
How long is a youth lacrosse game?
Youth lacrosse is the entry-level tier. Boys and girls are grouped by age and skill (U6, U8, U10, U12 and so on), and game length is based on those groups.
For the youngest youth groups, a lacrosse game is about 32 minutes of play: four 8-minute quarters. There are short breaks between quarters, plus an 8–10 minute halftime. Coaches typically get a few timeouts of 1–2 minutes each.
In a halves format, youth games are usually about 30 minutes: two 15-minute halves, plus halftime and timeouts. As players get older, the times go up. At the oldest youth levels, games grow to 12–15 minute quarters or 20-minute halves.
It’s worth noting that youth game lengths vary with modified rules, governing bodies, and local league rules. Check your league’s rulebook before the first game.
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Strategies for managing youth lacrosse game length
Here are some strategies coaches, officials, and parents can use to manage the length of a youth lacrosse game. Everyone involved should work on it together:
- Modify game formats
- Use running clocks
- Focus on skill development (positions and playing styles)
- Organize mini-games
- Use timeouts strategically
- Set clear pace guidelines
- Consider the weather and players’ endurance
- Work together on age-appropriate game lengths
Youth co-ed lacrosse games
Youth co-ed lacrosse game length is usually the same as single-gender games. Overall playing time ranges anywhere from 32 to 60 minutes.
Youth lacrosse: timing for spectators
Youth lacrosse games have 32 to 60 minutes of playing time. But once you add breaks, timeouts, overtime (set periods or sudden victory), and unexpected stoppages like injuries or bad weather, a game can take 80 to 100 minutes. On a tournament Saturday in Virginia Beach with three games on the schedule, pack a cooler and a chair.
Read more: Best lacrosse sticks for youth and beginners
How long is a high school lacrosse game?
As we move up to high school, game length goes up too. Boys’ and girls’ high school games are similar in total length, but the format is different. The tables below are based on the most common high school setups.
High school boys’ lacrosse
The standard high school boys’ game is 48 minutes: four 12-minute quarters. With breaks, timeouts, overtime, and stoppages on a stop clock, the whole game usually takes 80 to 120 minutes. Some leagues and states play 60-minute games with 15-minute quarters.
High school girls’ lacrosse
Girls’ high school lacrosse has traditionally been played in two 25-minute halves rather than quarters, though many states have since moved to a quarters format. Check your state association’s rules.
How long is a college lacrosse game?
College lacrosse is the closest thing to the pro game, since most pro players come out of college programs. College lacrosse also has the longest games. These lengths can vary with rule changes, governing bodies, and conference rules.
College men’s lacrosse game length
NCAA men’s lacrosse is 60 minutes: four 15-minute quarters.
College women’s lacrosse game length
NCAA women’s lacrosse used to play two 30-minute halves, but it has moved to four 15-minute quarters, so men’s and women’s college games are now both 60 minutes.
Sixty minutes on the clock. Two-plus hours in the stands. And the last two minutes of a one-goal game feel like twenty.
How long is a professional lacrosse game?
Professional men’s lacrosse
The two best-known pro men’s leagues are the National Lacrosse League (NLL), which plays box lacrosse indoors, and the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), which plays the field game. They don’t use the same clock:
- PLL: four 12-minute quarters (48 minutes), with a 32-second shot clock.
- NLL: four 15-minute quarters (60 minutes) of box lacrosse.
If the teams are tied at the end of regulation, they go to sudden-victory overtime: the first team to score wins. Overtime periods are short, and play continues until there’s a winner. With halftime and TV breaks, most pro games take two to two and a half hours. (Curious about the players? Here’s how much pro lacrosse players make.)
Professional women’s lacrosse
Women’s pro lacrosse has changed a lot. The United Women’s Lacrosse League (UWLX) and the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League (WPLL) are no longer active, and Athletes Unlimited suspended its lacrosse league at the end of 2024. Today, the main pro league is the PLL’s Women’s Lacrosse League (WLL), which launched in 2025 and plays the faster Sixes format, with six players a side, a 30-second shot clock, and shorter periods than a traditional women’s game.
If a game is tied at the end of regulation, it goes to sudden-victory overtime, where the first goal wins. Some leagues instead play set extra periods, and the team with more goals at the end wins.
People also ask
How long is a lacrosse game for youth players?
Youth lacrosse games typically have 32 to 60 minutes of playing time, with quarters lasting about 8 to 15 minutes depending on age group and local rules. With breaks and timeouts, plan on 80 to 100 minutes.
How long is a high school lacrosse game?
High school boys usually play four 12-minute quarters (48 minutes). High school girls have traditionally played two 25-minute halves, though many states now use quarters. With stoppages, a game usually takes 80 to 120 minutes.
How long is a college lacrosse game?
NCAA men’s and women’s lacrosse both play 60 minutes: four 15-minute quarters.
How long is a professional lacrosse game?
The PLL plays four 12-minute quarters (48 minutes), and the NLL plays four 15-minute quarters (60 minutes). With breaks, TV timeouts and halftime, most pro games take about two to two and a half hours.
What happens if a lacrosse game ends in a tie?
Most levels play sudden-victory overtime in short periods, often about 4 minutes, until someone scores. Some youth and recreational leagues instead play set extra periods or allow ties.
By now, you know how long a lacrosse game is depending on gender, level of play, and league rules. Bring a chair, bring water, and don’t leave early. Lacrosse games are won in the fourth quarter.
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