Yards Per Attempt (YPA) Calculator
Calculate a quarterback's exact passing efficiency. See how your YPA compares to NFL benchmarks.
Passing Yards (Yds)
Pass Attempts (Att)
Yards Per Attempt Formula
Total Passing Yards ÷ Pass Attempts
Why Yards Per Attempt (YPA) Matters
While Completion Percentage shows how accurate a quarterback is, Yards Per Attempt (YPA) shows how productive those completions actually are.
- The Checkdown Problem: A quarterback who throws 5 passes for 2 yards each will have a perfect 100% Completion Percentage. But their YPA will be a terrible 2.0. High YPA rewards quarterbacks who push the ball downfield and convert third downs.
- NFL Benchmarks: In the modern NFL, a YPA below 6.5 is considered poor, often belonging to game-managers or struggling offenses. The league average typically sits right around 7.0 to 7.3.
- Elite Status: Averaging 8.0 YPA or higher over a full season usually puts a quarterback squarely in the MVP conversation.
- Did you know? Norm Van Brocklin holds the single-season NFL record with an astonishing 10.1 YPA set in 1954. In the modern era, Aaron Rodgers posted an incredible 9.2 YPA in 2011.