An AFL quarter is officially 20 minutes of playing time. However, due to stoppages such as injuries, goals, and other interruptions, the actual elapsed time for a quarter tends to be around 25 to 30 minutes. This is because the clock stops for these stoppages, and this additional time is called "time on." Thus, while the playing time is 20 minutes per quarter, including stoppages, an AFL quarter typically lasts about 30 minutes in real time.
The whole AFL game consists of four quarters, each 20 minutes long plus stoppages, totaling around 2 to 2.5 hours including breaks.
