One American football game can run far longer than its 60-minute regulation clock suggests. If you mean the longest NFL game by playing time, the record belongs to a 1971 playoff thriller between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. If you mean the most overtime periods, college football has gone even further.
The longest NFL game by playing time
On December 25, 1971, the Dolphins beat the Chiefs 27–24 in an AFC divisional playoff game that lasted 82 minutes and 40 seconds of playing time. That remains the NFL’s longest game by this measure. It went through regulation and two overtime periods before Miami’s Garo Yepremian kicked the winning field goal.
The extra time came from the game’s back-and-forth finish. Kansas City tied the score at 24 with a field goal late in regulation. Neither team scored in the first overtime, and the contest continued into a second. Yepremian finally ended it with a 37-yard kick, sending Miami to the AFC Championship Game.
That figure of 82:40 is not the same as the time a fan spent at the stadium or watching at home. It counts the game clock while play was in progress; stoppages, timeouts, halftime and breaks between plays make the real-world event much longer. There is no equally useful fixed record for total elapsed time, since weather delays and other interruptions can stretch a game unpredictably.
Longest games and overtime records at a glance
| Record | Game | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Longest NFL game by playing time | Dolphins 27, Chiefs 24, December 25, 1971 | Lasted 82:40, including two overtime periods |
| Most overtime periods in an NFL game | Several games | The NFL record is two overtime periods |
| Most overtime periods in an NCAA game | Illinois 20, Penn State 18, October 23, 2021 | Went to nine overtimes |
How long can an NFL game go?
Regulation NFL games consist of four 15-minute quarters, but that adds up to 60 minutes on the game clock—not 60 minutes of continuous action. The clock stops for reasons such as incomplete passes, players going out of bounds, timeouts and certain penalties. Television breaks and the 12-minute halftime also add to the time you experience as a viewer.
In the 1971 Dolphins-Chiefs game, overtime followed the rules of the era: the first team to score won. A field goal could end the game, so each possession carried enormous pressure. Today, NFL regular-season overtime rules give both teams a chance to possess the ball in many circumstances, though a touchdown on the opening possession still ends the game. If the score remains tied after one 10-minute overtime, the game ends in a tie during the regular season. Postseason games continue through additional overtime periods until there is a winner.
Despite the possibility of more overtime today, the NFL record for overtime periods remains two. Several games have reached that mark, including playoff games. The 1971 Miami-Kansas City contest still stands apart for its total playing time, not because two overtimes is an unusual number now, but because the game clock kept running for so long across the full contest.
College football’s nine-overtime marathon
College football has produced games with more overtime periods. In 2021, Illinois defeated Penn State 20–18 after nine overtimes, setting the NCAA record. It was a very different kind of marathon from the NFL’s 1971 game: the later overtimes were a sequence of short scoring attempts rather than full extra periods of normal play.
The NCAA changed its overtime format in 2021 to limit how long these games could continue. After two overtime periods, teams alternate two-point conversion attempts instead of starting possessions at the opponent’s 25-yard line. That rule helped produce the unusual nine-overtime finish in Illinois-Penn State. Each team kept trading conversions until Illinois finally scored and Penn State failed to match it.
There is an important distinction here: a record number of overtime periods does not necessarily mean the most minutes of football. The 2021 format makes later overtime rounds brief, while an older NFL game could include extended drives and regular offensive and defensive series. “Longest” depends on whether you count playing time, overtime periods or the time from kickoff to the final whistle.
Why the 1971 game still matters
The Dolphins-Chiefs matchup was more than a statistical curiosity. It was a postseason game between two strong teams, and its length tested the depth and focus of both rosters. Every additional snap meant more physical wear, more pressure on the kickers and fewer opportunities for either team to make a mistake.
For players, the challenge in a long game is not simply stamina. Coaches must manage substitutions, protect tired players and keep the playbook usable when fatigue affects execution. For fans, the lesson is that a 60-minute game can become an afternoon-long event—and playoff football is especially reluctant to end on a tie.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the longest NFL game ever played?
The longest NFL game by playing time was the Dolphins’ 27–24 playoff win over the Chiefs on December 25, 1971. It lasted 82 minutes and 40 seconds, including two overtimes.
What is the longest college football game?
Illinois beat Penn State 20–18 in a nine-overtime game on October 23, 2021. It set the NCAA record for the most overtime periods.
What is the most overtime periods in an NFL game?
The NFL record is two overtime periods. The 1971 Dolphins-Chiefs playoff game is the best-known example, though it is also notable for its record total playing time.
Does “longest game” mean the longest time at the stadium?
Not necessarily. The 82:40 record refers to playing time, not the total elapsed time from kickoff to the final whistle. Halftime, timeouts, commercial breaks and delays all add time, and those interruptions vary from game to game.
Final Thoughts
For the NFL, the answer is clear: the 1971 Dolphins-Chiefs playoff game is the longest by playing time, at 82:40. For the most overtime periods in American football, the NCAA record is Illinois-Penn State’s nine-overtime finish in 2021. Those records measure different kinds of endurance, but both show how far a game can stretch when neither team can close it out.
Aiden Cross is a sports writer and editor at BeliveSports, covering a broad range of sports with a focus on clear, accurate, and practical information. His work covers rules, techniques, player roles, competitions, equipment, statistics, and the details that help readers better understand how different sports are played. Aiden takes a research-driven approach to sports writing, using reliable sources and established sporting information to provide context rather than simply repeating surface-level facts. His goal is to make complex topics accessible while maintaining the accuracy and depth expected by knowledgeable sports fans. At BeliveSports, Aiden contributes to the site’s editorial standards by focusing on accuracy, clarity, useful context, and reader-first explanations.
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