99–yard pass play

A 99-yard pass play is the longest play involving a forward pass that is possible in an American professional football game, and gains 99 yards for the offensive team.

Specifically, a 99-yard pass play starts with the line of scrimmage at the offensive team's one-yard line, the quarterback receives the ball and passes it from his own end zone, completes a forward pass, which is then carried for a touchdown at the other end of the field. Since in American football a forward pass is measured by the number of yards gained in the play, a 99-yard pass play can also be referred to as a 99-yard pass, even though the actual pass was much shorter than 99 yards. In addition to 99-yard pass plays, there has been one NFL 99-yard running play, by Tony Dorsett.

This play is a high-risk play, since the pass is coming from the offensive team's end zone. If the ball is intercepted, the opposing team will either score a touchdown or have very good field position; a sack can result in a safety or even a touchdown for the defense.

Since returners do not start from the line of scrimmage, return plays can be (and have been) longer than 99 yards (the longest plays in NFL history are a return of a missed field goal and a kickoff return, both the maximum possible yardage of 109).

Thirteen 99-yard pass plays have occurred in the history of the National Football League:

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