Most recreation games are either 36 or 40 minutes of actual playing time. But the best answer to this question is–it depends! There are a bunch of different factors that matter when you are trying to determine how long a recreation game will last. You should expect to be there for at least an hour-start to finish. Unfortunately this is not all playing time. If you are trying to maximizing each player’s playing time you need to have a strategy.
One of my biggest challenges coaching, especially at the recreational level, is trying to give all of my players as much playing time as possible. Although recreational basketball games typically last one hour that does NOT include real playing time. Plus there are certain rules related to time that are unique in recreational basketball games. Keep reading and I will explain some very useful information that will help you develop a substitution strategy that will maximize each player’s playing time.
What is a Recreation League?
Before we start talking about strategy lets talk about recreational basketball leagues. This is essentially the basic and first level of organized basketball. There are many different levels of organized basketball but recreational basketball is geared towards players of all levels and talents. Coaches should expect to give all of their players a fair amount of playing time–which is easier said than done.
Length of Recreational Basketball Games
Recreation basketball games don’t last as long as organized basketball games at other levels. For comparison purposes, other levels of basketball leagues include travel, middle school and high school basketball leagues. These are sanctioned and typically follow a different set of rules, especially where time is concerned.
All leagues are different but in my experience the majority of actual team playing time is between 36 and 40 minutes.
The two most common I have seen:
– Two 20 minute halves with a running clock
– Four 8 minute quarters with a running clock
Recreation basketball games are not sanctioned by anyone or any rule book. Typically, the league will develop their own set of rules and advertise it on their website.
Most recreation basketball games will last about one hour. This includes several different events which are broken down below.
Pre game huddle- This is dependent on your coach and will almost always be before the advertised start time. This is an opportunity for your coach to take care of any administrative matters or go over any last minute basketball talk with the players. This is important for the coach to take attendance and make sure all of the players are there.
Warm up- Recreation games don’t offer much warm-up time but you can expect about five minutes. I like to have my players warm-up on an outdoor court or do some stretching outdoors prior to the game.
Halftime- Half time is a very short period. Sometimes leagues match the time in the period or quarter. So if your league has 8-minute quarters you may get an 8-minute halftime. Check your league’s rule book.
Time outs- This varies but I often see two full one minute time-outs and three 30-second time-outs.
Overtime- If the game is tied expect it to be a running clock that matches the quarter length. So if your quarters are 8 minutes then your overtime quarter will likely me 8 minutes also. Don’t expect too much of a break in between the end of the game and the overtime quarter.
Recreational leagues have limited time
Recreation leagues are typically community run programs with a bunch of teams and limited gym time. Directors are forced to pack in a bunch of games on a Saturday which means the allotted time for each game must be strictly followed. The rules used by recreational leagues are mostly the same as other advanced basketball leagues except for the time component. Middle and high school basketball games can go on for an hour or more. Recreational leagues don’t have that luxury so they use a running clock.
What is a Running Clock?
The clock in a traditional basketball game will stop every time the referee blows the whistle. This can turn an eight minute quarter into a 25 minute quarter. Recreational basketball leagues don’t have that luxury. They use a running clock which essentially means the clock never stops unless it is for a timeout.
What does a running clock do to playing time?
A running clock can be detrimental to a player’s playing time. Playing time is already precious but imagine the referee blowing his whistle to stop play during a free throw or a series of out of bounds calls while the clock keeps on ticking. That can really eat into a player’s time on the court. It can take up to a minute for a referee to get both teams setup and ready for a free throw.
This can be very frustrating for a coach who is trying to give each player some experience. Therefore it is important that coaches not only teach the fundamentals of basketball but have a good substitution strategy to give ALL player’s sufficient playing time.
Substitutions
Many leagues have limited rules or guidance about substitutions but do expect you to play all of the players. Plus, I am confident you want to get all of your players some court time.
The biggest enemy for subbing players in a recreation basketball game is the clock. So lets go over some useful tips that will help you know when to substitute your players and show you a few ways to slow down the clock.
Number of players on each team:
Most leagues will have a max of 8 players on a team. This is a good number because it allows you to manage your substitutions easier but it can still get complicated.
A typical recreation basketball game lasts a total of 32 minutes of actual playing time. You can have five players on the court at one time. Your total amount of team playing time is 160 minutes. If you divide that equally by 8 players each athlete will have 20 minutes of court time.
Equal Playing Time
Unfortunately, not all players are created equal. Most coaches will not be able to equally divide the playing time amongst their team. It is just not always realistic and that is OK. In recreation basketball games there are varying degrees of talent and it is important to keep experienced players on the court. And because there are normally fewer of these on each team they will by default get a little more playing time. I like to use my more experienced players to lead the team and teach them to put their teammates in positions to become successful. This makes everyone happier.
So when should I substitute?
I like to break down the playing time into units to help give me a reference point on when to put substitutions in the game. I am also aware that each kid wants to play.
It is important to start off each game with your a core group of players that you know will start off strong. This doesn’t need to be your best five players. It can be a combination of seasoned players and maybe a newer player who is really good at defense.
I like to give my starting five a solid four minutes, especially if it is an 8 minute quarter game. Then at the four-minute mark I rotate in the remaining three players, assuming there are a total of eight players. This allows you to play all eight players before the end of the first quarter. There is nothing worse than knowing one of your players didn’t see the court in the first quarter.
It is very important that you rotate smart. Do not start the game with five superstars who keep you in the game and then rotate in an uneven team. This could really take away your team’s momentum and won’t be fun for you or the players.
Earlier I mentioned that its important to substitute your players but a running clock can really make time fly. So here are some tips and tricks I have learned while coaching recreation basketball that will help you stop the clock and maximize your team’s playing time.
Tips and tricks
- Call timeouts during free throws. Free throws take forever and if the clock is running–time is wasting. Chances are you won’t need all of your time-outs during a game so consider calling a time out as soon as the referee blows the whistle on a shooting foul. This way the clock will stop during free throws. My suggestion is to do this only in the second half unless you feel comfortable that you won’t need time-outs later in the game.
- Use a substitution roster. You can find these all over the internet. You basically plug in the names and it will tell you when to rotate each player. This method can take away some of your flexibility during a game but gives you a go-by.