Ball in play in Super rugby

The match is 80-minutes long but the ball is not in play all of those 80 minutes. There are stoppages, and in fact the ball is rarely in play for even half the time.

The average time that the ball is in play in Super Rugby, taken by Jan Taljaard since 2000, is 33 minutes 30 seconds - 16 minutes 4 seconds in the first half and 17 minutes 26 seconds in the second half.

'Ball in play' does not mean that the ball is being passed around. It may be kicked, as it mostly was when the Crusaders played the Stormers or it may be lying there while the scrumhalf fiddles.

The ball was in play for 40 minutes or more in the following match: Brumbies vs Sharks. That is all. It was in play for the shortest time in the following matches: Rebels vs Blues, Stormers vs Blues and Reds vs force.

The ball was longer in play in the Six Nations. It was in play for more than 40 minutes in the following matches:
Scotland vs England, Wales vs Scotland, England vs Wales and Scotland vs France. It was never in play for less than 30 minutes.

Super Rugby ball-in-play times in 2012 (referees in brackets)

Week 8

Blues vs Sharks (Walsh): 16 minutes 27 seconds + 17 minutes 42 seconds = 34 minutes 9 seconds
Western Force vs Waratahs (Jackson) : 15 minutes 33 seconds + 18 minutes 28 seconds = 34 minutes 1 second
Crusaders vs Stormers (Pollock) : 16 minutes 23 seconds + 21 minutes 42 seconds = 38 minutes 5 seconds
Brumbies vs Rebels (Joubert): 15 minutes 40 seconds + 17 minutes 54 seconds = 33 minutes 34 seconds
Cheetahs vs Chiefs (Kaplan): 12 minutes 21 seconds + 18 minutes 51 seconds = 31 minutes 12 seconds
Lions vs Bulls (Williamson) : 15 minutes 50 seconds + 16 minutes 33 seconds = 32 minutes 23 seconds

Week 7

Rebels vs Blues (Bryce Lawrence): 12 minutes 52 seconds + 14 minutes 20 seconds = 27 minutes 12 seconds
Hurricanes vs Sharks (Jackson): 15 minutes seconds + 7420 minutes 04 seconds = 35 minutes 47 seconds
Reds vs Brumbies (Walsh): 20 minutes 28 seconds + 16 minutes 31 seconds = 36 minutes 59 seconds
Western Force vs Chiefs (White): 16 minutes 54 seconds + 19 minutes 55 seconds = 36 minutes 49 seconds
Highlanders vs Stormers (Pollock): 17 minutes 21 seconds + 20 minutes 8 seconds = 37 minutes 29 seconds
Cheetahs vs Lions (Mark Lawrence): 17 minutes 49 seconds + 19 minutes 32 seconds = 37 minutes 21 seconds
Bulls vs Crusaders (Peyper) : 17 minutes 42 seconds + 18 minutes 29 seconds = 36 minutes 11 seconds

Week 6

Highlanders vs Rebels (Jonker): 20 minutes 20 seconds + 17 minutes 39 seconds = 37 minutes 59 seconds
Hurricanes vs Cheetahs (Smith): 17 minutes 56 seconds + 18 minutes 47 seconds = 36 minutes 43 seconds
Chiefs vs Waratahs (Fraser): 17 minutes 43 seconds + 15 minutes 13 seconds = 32 minutes 56 seconds
Brumbies vs Sharks (Brown): 17 minutes 47 seconds + 23 minutes 26 seconds = 41 minutes 13 seconds
Western Force vs Reds (Williamson): 20 minutes 23 seconds + 17 minutes 16 seconds = 37 minutes 39 seconds
Lions vs Crusaders (Kaplan): 14 minutes 35 seconds + 14 minutes 6 seconds = 28 minutes 41 seconds
Stormers vs Bulls (Joubert): 14 minutes 22 seconds + 16 minutes 46 seconds = 31 minutes 8 seconds

Week 5

Blues vs Hurricanes (Walsh): 17 minutes 14 seconds + 16 minutes 57 seconds = 34 minutes 11 seconds
Rebels vs Western Force (Jonker): 16 minutes 39 seconds + 20 minutes 20 seconds = 36 minutes 59 seconds
Waratahs vs Sharks (Pollock): 17 minutes 12 seconds + 17 minutes 50 seconds = 35 minutes 02 seconds
Crusaders vs Cheetahs (Brown): 16 minutes 25 seconds + 18 minutes 58 seconds = 35 minutes 23 seconds
Brumbies vs Highlanders (Van der Merwe): 17 minutes 42 seconds + 16 minutes 16 seconds = 33 minutes 58 seconds
Bulls vs Reds (Kaplan): 13 minutes 53 seconds + 16 minutes 31 seconds = 30 minutes 24 seconds
Lions vs Stormers (Jackson): 17 minutes 12 seconds + 18 minutes 59 seconds = 36 minutes 11 seconds

Week 4

Chiefs vs Brumbies (Smith): 16 minutes 04 seconds + 17 minutes 3 seconds = 33 minutes 7 seconds
Stormers vs Blues (Jackson): 12 minutes 35 seconds + 14 minutes 59 seconds = 27 minutes 34 seconds
Hurricanes vs Highlanders (Lawrence, B/Brown): 13 minutes 47 seconds + 16 minutes 18 seconds = 30 minutes 5 seconds
Waratahs vs Western Force (White): 16 minutes 50 seconds + 20 minutes 51 seconds = 37 minutes 41 seconds
Rebels vs Cheetahs (Williamson): 19 minutes 47 seconds + 19 minutes seconds = 39 minutes 30 seconds
Sharks vs Reds (Kaplan): 17 minutes 41 seconds + 19 minutes 20 seconds = 37 minutes 1 seconds

Week 3

Blues vs Crusaders (Pollock): 15 minutes 47 seconds + 17 minutes 8 seconds = 32 minutes 55 seconds
Brumbies vs Western Force (Lawrence, B): 15 minutes 9 seconds + 17 minutes 32 seconds = 32 minutes 41 seconds
Bulls vs Sharks (Kaplan): 13 minutes 14 seconds + 17 minutes 49 seconds = 31 minutes 3 seconds
Chiefs vs Highlanders (White): 17 minutes 52 seconds + 19 minutes 51 seconds = 37 minutes 11 seconds
Waratahs vs Reds (Peyper): 14 minutes 32 seconds + 18 minutes 01 seconds = 32 minutes 33 seconds
Stormers vs Hurricanes (Jonker): 14 minutes 9 seconds + 14 minutes 59 seconds = 29 minutes 8 seconds
Lions vs Cheetahs (Lawrence, M): 15 minutes 30 seconds + 17 minutes 11 seconds = 32 minutes 41 seconds

Week 2

Chiefs vs Blues (Brown): 14 minutes 44 seconds + 22 minutes 10 seconds = 36 minutes 54 seconds
Rebels vs Waratahs (Lawrence, B): 18 minutes 02 seconds + 16 minutes 28 seconds = 34 minutes 30 seconds
Lions vs Hurricanes (Walsh): 17 minutes 10 seconds + 19 minutes 12 seconds = 36 minutes 22 seconds
Highlanders vs Crusaders (Peyper): 14 minutes 59 seconds + 14 minutes 46 seconds = 29 minutes 45 seconds
Reds vs Western Force (Smith/Lees): 11 minutes 54 seconds + 15 minutes 42 seconds = 27 minutes 36 seconds
Cheetahs vs Bulls (Joubert): 14 minutes 5 seconds + 14 minutes 42 seconds = 28 minutes 47 seconds
Stormers vs Sharks (Lawrence, M): 16 minutes 02 seconds + 16 minutes 33 seconds = 32 minutes 35 seconds

Week 1

Blues vs Crusaders (Pollock): 15 minutes 47 seconds + 17 minutes 8 seconds = 32 minutes 55 seconds
Brumbies vs Western Force (Lawrence, B): 15 minutes 9 seconds + 17 minutes 32 seconds = 32 minutes 41 seconds
Bulls vs Sharks (Kaplan): 13 minutes 14 seconds + 17 minutes 49 seconds = 31 minutes 03 seconds
Chiefs vs Highlanders (White): 17 minutes 52 seconds + 19 minutes seconds = 37 minutes seconds
Waratahs vs Reds (Peyper): 14 minutes 32 seconds + 18 minutes 1 seconds = 32 minutes 33 seconds
Stormers vs Hurricanes (Jonker): 14 minutes 09 seconds + 14 minutes 59 seconds = 29 minutes 08 seconds
Lions vs Cheetahs (Lawrence, M): 15 minutes 30 seconds + 17 minutes 11 seconds = 32 minutes 41 seconds

Six Nations

France vs Italy (Owens): 18 minutes 9 seconds + 18 minutes 34 seconds = 36 minutes seconds
Scotland vs England (Clancy): 19 minutes 53 seconds + 20 minutes 36 seconds = 40 minutes 29 seconds
Ireland vs Wales (Barnes): 19 minutes 50 seconds + 20 minutes 2 seconds = 39 minutes 52 seconds
Italy vs England (Garces): 19 minutes 13 seconds + 18 minutes 33 seconds = 37 minutes 46 seconds
Wales vs Scotland (Poite): 22 minutes 53 seconds + 22 minutes 19 seconds = 45 minutes 12 seconds
Ireland vs Italy (Joubert): 17 minutes 53 seconds + 17 minutes 18 seconds = 35 minutes 11 seconds
England vs Wales (Walsh): 18 minutes 44 seconds + 22 minutes 44 seconds = 41 minutes 28 seconds
Scotland vs France (Barnes): 19 minutes 59 seconds + 20 minutes 27 seconds = 40 minutes 26 seconds
France vs England (Rolland): 18 minutes 22 seconds + 17 minutes 21 seconds = 35 minutes seconds
Wales vs Italy (Clancy): 15 minutes 57 seconds + 19 minutes 11 seconds = 35 minutes 8 seconds
Ireland vs Scotland (Pollock): 16 minutes 25 seconds + 14 minutes 14 seconds = 30 minutes 39 seconds
Italy vs Scotland (Rolland): 15 minutes 53 seconds + 17 minutes 7 seconds = 33 minutes 0 seconds
Wales vs France (Joubert): 18 minutes 53 seconds + 20 minutes 21 seconds = 39 minutes 14 seconds
England vs Ireland (Owens): 16 minutes 12 seconds + 14 minutes 53 seconds = 31 minutes 05 seconds