sports
Readers reply: American football takes forever. In which other sports do you spend most of your time not playing the game?
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts
TL;DR
- American football has a long duration with minimal actual playing time, often involving extensive advertising and statistics.
- Golf, baseball, cricket, sailing, and three-day eventing are mentioned as sports with substantial periods of inactivity.
- Sports like athletics (jumps and throws), relative skydiving, downhill skiing, and scuba diving also involve significant waiting or preparation time.
- Sumo wrestling and chess have very short bouts or thought periods followed by long waits between actions.
- The definition of 'playing time' is debated, with some including strategic thinking, movement between actions, or preparation as part of the game.
- Rugby union and soccer generally have more ball-in-play time compared to American football, but still include periods of non-play.
- Ice hockey is described as stop-start, with the clock stopping during breaks, leading to extended game durations.