A standard basketball game is divided into four quarters. The length of each quarter depends on the league:

• In the NBA, there are four quarters, each lasting 12 minutes, making a total of 48 minutes of regulation play

• In the WNBA, games also have four quarters, but each quarter lasts 10 minutes, totaling 40 minutes of regulation play

• In women's college basketball (NCAA), games are played in four 10-minute quarters as well

• Men's college basketball (NCAA) differs by having two halves of 20 minutes each instead of quarters

Between quarters, teams get short breaks, with a longer halftime break between the second and third quarters, usually around 15 minutes

. If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, the game goes into overtime, which consists of additional periods of 5 minutes each until a winner is decided

. In summary, professional and women's college basketball games have four quarters, while men's college basketball uses two halves. The quarter system influences game strategy, pacing, and player rotations significantly