A 99-yard pass play is the longest play involving a

forward pass In several forms of football, a forward pass is the throwing of the ball in the direction in which the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line. The forward pass is one of the main distinguishers between gridiro ...

that is possible in an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

game. It gains 99 yards and scores a

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...

for the offensive team. The play has occurred thirteen times in NFL history, most recently by

Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son ...

and Victor Cruz. The Washington Commanders are the only team to have had multiple 99 yard passes, having done so three times. They were also the first franchise to complete one, accomplishing the feat in 1939. The Chicago Bears are the only team to have given up multiple 99 yard passes, doing so three times. Teams that have had a 99 yard pass play are 10–3 in the game it occurred in.

Details

A 99-yard pass play starts with the line of scrimmage at the offensive team's one-yard line. The

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...

receives the ball, passes it from his own

end zone The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field. ...

, and completes a

, which is then carried for a

at the other end of the field. In addition to 99-yard pass plays, there have been two NFL 99-yard running plays, one by

Derrick Henry Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. (born January 4, 1994) is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). His imposing rushing game and larger stature than the average running back earned him the nickna ...

and one 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 In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...

, the opposing team will likely either score a touchdown or have very good field position, and a sack can result in a

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly di ...

or even a touchdown for the defense. A safety can also occur if a holding or intentional grounding penalty occurs in the end zone.

Occurrences in the NFL

Thirteen 99-yard pass plays have occurred in the history of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

References

External links

99-yard TDs
from the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

(2011) * *
99-yard TDs
from the

(2011) {{DEFAULTSORT:99 Yard Pass Play American football records and statistics National Football League records and achievements National Football League lists

Details

Occurrences in the NFL

See also

References

External links