In a standard FIBA (International) game, how many quarters are played, and how long is each quarter?

General Awareness ·Previously asked in SSC CGL 2025

View the full solved paper: SSC CGL 2025 Tier II (19 Jan 2026)

Question

In a standard FIBA (International) game, how many quarters are played, and how long is each quarter?

  1. A. Four 8-minute quarters
  2. B. Four 10-minute quarters (Correct answer)
  3. C. Two 20-minute halves
  4. D. Four 12-minute quarters

Correct Answer

Option B — Four 10-minute quarters

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Four 10-minute quarters.

Key Points

  • Under FIBA rules an international basketball match is played in four quarters of 10 minutes each, giving 40 minutes of playing time.
  • The distractors describe other formats: NBA games use four 12-minute quarters, and NCAA men's college basketball uses two 20-minute halves.

Additional Information

  • Each team has 5 players on court from a squad of 12. Scoring is 1 point for a free throw, 2 inside the arc and 3 beyond it.
  • The shot clock is 24 seconds, reset to 14 after an offensive rebound; a team has 8 seconds to advance the ball past halfway.
  • FIBA — the Fédération Internationale de Basketball — is headquartered at Mies, Switzerland, and basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891.
  • Overtime periods are 5 minutes each and are played until the tie is broken.

Topics covered: Sports Basketball