How long are NBA Summer League games? Rules, format and more

The NBA Summer League is set to begin this weekend, with action tipping off in San Francisco and Sacramento on Saturday, Jul. 6. This year's slate of NBA Summer League action will see plenty of young standouts take to the court, including this year's top three picks. The key difference, however, is that these games will be played under a modified format compared to standard NBA games.

Summer League games are 40 minutes long, with four 10-minute quarters, whereas traditional NBA games are 48 minutes long, with four 12-minute quarters. In addition, halftime is just eight minutes long, meaning fans will have a chance to tune back into the action much sooner than a traditional NBA game.

Another key difference is that players foul out after 10 fouls in the Summer League. Similarly, the foul limit for teams has also been extended to 10 per half, giving teams a chance to showcase their best players without worrying about foul trouble.

If a game ends in a tie through four regulation quarters, teams will go to an Elam-ending overtime period. There, the first team to reach the target score of seven points will be declared the winner.

Looking at the format of the NBA Summer League, from the California Classic to the NBA 2k25 Summer League

This year's NBA Summer League action will be played in stages from several locations. Things will tip off with the California Classic in Sacramento and San Francisco this weekend and run through Jul. 9. Two groups of four teams will compete in a series of games.

The San Francisco leg will see the LA Lakers, Sacramento Kings, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors face off against each other. Meanwhile, the Sacramento leg will see the Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings and China compete.

Saturday, July 6 (San Francisco)

• Lakers-Kings (4:30 ET, ESPN)
• Heat-Warriors (6:30 ET, ESPN)

Sunday, July 7 (San Francisco)

• Lakers-Warriors (6:30 ET, NBA TV)
• Heat-Kings (4:30 ET, NBA TV)

Wednesday, July 10 (San Francisco)

• Heat-Lakers (7 ET, ESPN2)
• Kings-Warriors (10 ET, NBA TV)

Saturday, July 6 (Sacramento)

• Hornets-Spurs (8:30 ET, NBA TV)
• China-Kings (10:30 ET, NBA TV)

Sunday, July 7 (Sacramento)

• China-Hornets (8 ET, ESPN2)
• Spurs-Kings (10 ET, ESPN2)

Tuesday, July 9 (Sacramento)

• Spurs-China (8 ET, NBA TV)
• Hornets-Kings (10 ET, NBA TV)

This will be followed by the Salt Lake City leg, which begins on Jul. 8 and runs through Jul. 10.

Monday, July 10 (Salt Lake City)

• Thunder-76ers (7 PM ET | ESPN)
• Grizzlies-Jazz (9 PM ET | ESPN2)

Tuesday, July 9 (Salt Lake City)

• Grizzlies-76ers (7 PM ET | ESPN)
• Thunder-Jazz (9 PM ET | ESPN2)

Wednesday, July 10 (Salt Lake City)

• Grizzlies-Thunder (7 PM ET | ESPN)
• 76ers-Jazz (9 PM ET | ESPN2)

The NBA 2k25 Summer League will then begin on July 12 in Las Vegas. From July 12 to July 22, all 30 teams will play a series of group-play games. While the remaining teams compete in one more consolation game, the top four teams will face off in the playoffs.