Use this free Yards Per Attempt Calculator to calculate average passing yards per attempt from total passing yards and passing attempts. Enter the two values to instantly calculate Y/A.
What Is Yards Per Attempt?
Yards Per Attempt (Y/A) measures the average number of passing yards generated for each passing attempt in the statistics being measured.
The basic calculation divides total passing yards by total passing attempts.
For example, if a quarterback throws for 250 yards on 35 passing attempts:
250 ÷ 35 = 7.14 yards per attempt
The quarterback averaged 7.14 yards per attempt.
Yards Per Attempt Formula
The basic formula is:
Yards Per Attempt = Passing Yards ÷ Passing Attempts
For example:
300 ÷ 40 = 7.50
A quarterback with 300 passing yards on 40 passing attempts has a yards-per-attempt average of 7.50 yards.
How to Calculate Yards Per Attempt
You need two values:
- Passing yards — the total passing yards in the statistics being measured.
- Passing attempts — the total number of passing attempts.
Follow these steps:
- Enter the total passing yards.
- Enter the total passing attempts.
- Divide passing yards by passing attempts.
- Round the result to the desired number of decimal places.
Yards Per Attempt Example
Suppose a quarterback records:
- 350 passing yards
- 45 passing attempts
Apply the formula:
350 ÷ 45 = 7.777...
Rounded to two decimal places:
7.78 yards per attempt
Yards Per Attempt Examples
| Passing Yards | Passing Attempts | Yards Per Attempt |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | 35 | 7.14 |
| 300 | 40 | 7.50 |
| 350 | 45 | 7.78 |
| 200 | 30 | 6.67 |
| 400 | 50 | 8.00 |
What Does Yards Per Attempt Mean?
A yards-per-attempt value represents the average amount of passing yardage generated for each passing attempt within the sample being measured.
For example, a value of 8.00 yards per attempt means the passer averaged 8 passing yards for every passing attempt in that sample.
It is an average and does not mean that every individual pass gained exactly that number of yards.
Why Is Yards Per Attempt Used?
Yards per attempt is one statistic used to describe passing efficiency and production. It provides context about the amount of passing yardage generated relative to the number of passing attempts.
It does not capture every aspect of quarterback or passing performance, so it can be considered alongside other passing statistics.
Yards Per Attempt vs. Passing Yards
Passing yards represent total passing yardage, while yards per attempt represents the average passing yards relative to passing attempts.
For example:
- Quarterback A: 300 yards on 40 attempts = 7.50 Y/A
- Quarterback B: 300 yards on 50 attempts = 6.00 Y/A
Both quarterbacks have 300 passing yards, but their yards-per-attempt figures are different because their attempt totals are different.
Yards Per Attempt vs. Completion Percentage
Yards per attempt and completion percentage measure different aspects of passing statistics.
Completion percentage:
Completions ÷ Passing Attempts × 100
Yards per attempt:
Passing Yards ÷ Passing Attempts
A quarterback can have a high completion percentage while having a lower yards-per-attempt figure if many completions are short passes.
Similarly, a quarterback can have a lower completion percentage while producing a higher yards-per-attempt figure if the completed passes generate more yards on average.
Yards Per Attempt vs. Yards Per Completion
These are different calculations.
Yards per attempt divides passing yards by passing attempts.
Yards per completion divides passing yards by completed passes.
For example, suppose a quarterback has:
- 300 passing yards
- 40 passing attempts
- 25 completions
Yards per attempt:
300 ÷ 40 = 7.50
Yards per completion:
300 ÷ 25 = 12.00
The two statistics use different denominators and therefore answer different questions.
Does Yards Per Attempt Include Incomplete Passes?
Yes. The standard yards-per-attempt calculation uses passing attempts as the denominator.
Therefore, incomplete passes included in the passing-attempt total affect the calculation.
For example, if a quarterback has 300 passing yards on 40 passing attempts:
300 ÷ 40 = 7.50 yards per attempt
The calculation does not divide passing yards only by completed passes.
Does Yards Per Attempt Include Interceptions?
An interception is not a completed pass. When an interception is included in the applicable passing-attempt total, it affects the yards-per-attempt calculation through the denominator.
This calculator does not require a separate interception input because the basic calculation only requires passing yards and passing attempts.
Does Yards Per Attempt Include Touchdown Passes?
Touchdown passes do not require a separate input for the basic yards-per-attempt calculation.
If a touchdown pass produces passing yards, those yards are included in the passing-yard total used by the calculation.
Does Yards Per Attempt Include Sacks?
Sacks are not included as passing attempts in the standard NFL passing-attempt statistic. Sack yardage is also treated separately from passing yards in traditional NFL passing statistics.
Therefore, this calculator uses the applicable passing-yard and passing-attempt figures and does not add sacks or sack yards as separate inputs.
Single-Game Yards Per Attempt
To calculate yards per attempt for a single game, use the passing yards and passing attempts recorded for that game.
For example:
- 275 passing yards
- 35 passing attempts
Calculation:
275 ÷ 35 = 7.86
The passer averaged 7.86 yards per attempt.
Season Yards Per Attempt
For a season or multi-game calculation, use the total passing yards and total passing attempts for the period.
The formula remains:
Total Passing Yards ÷ Total Passing Attempts
For example:
- 4,000 passing yards
- 500 passing attempts
Calculation:
4,000 ÷ 500 = 8.00
The season yards-per-attempt average is 8.00.
Do Not Average Game Yards-Per-Attempt Values
When calculating a multi-game or season yards-per-attempt figure, use the combined passing yards divided by the combined passing attempts.
Do not simply average the yards-per-attempt figures from individual games when the games have different numbers of passing attempts.
For example:
- Game 1: 300 yards on 50 attempts = 6.00 Y/A
- Game 2: 100 yards on 10 attempts = 10.00 Y/A
The simple average would be:
(6.00 + 10.00) ÷ 2 = 8.00
But the combined calculation is:
(300 + 100) ÷ (50 + 10) = 400 ÷ 60 = 6.67
Therefore, the correct combined yards-per-attempt figure is 6.67, not 8.00.
Yards Per Attempt and Passer Rating
Yards per attempt is related to traditional NFL passer-rating calculations, but Y/A itself is not the passer rating.
Traditional passer rating uses several passing statistics rather than only yards per attempt.
Use the NFL Passer Rating Calculator if you want to calculate traditional passer rating.
Yards Per Attempt and Other Passing Statistics
Yards per attempt can be considered alongside other statistics to provide additional statistical context.
Other commonly used passing statistics include:
- Completion percentage
- Passing yards
- Touchdown passes
- Interceptions
- Passer rating
- Yards per completion
Each statistic measures a different part of passing performance.
Can Yards Per Attempt Be Zero?
Yes. A yards-per-attempt value of 0.00 is possible when the passing-yard total is zero and there is at least one passing attempt.
For example:
0 ÷ 10 = 0.00
Can Yards Per Attempt Be Greater Than 10?
Yes. There is no mathematical maximum of 10 yards per attempt.
For example, 500 passing yards on 40 passing attempts produces:
500 ÷ 40 = 12.50 yards per attempt
The result can therefore be greater than 10 when the passing-yard total is sufficiently high relative to the number of attempts.
Why Use a Yards Per Attempt Calculator?
This calculator provides a quick way to calculate yards per attempt without manually performing the division.
You can use it for:
- Single-game passing statistics
- Season passing statistics
- Quarterback statistics
- Football statistics research
- Fantasy football research
- Sports data analysis
- Checking manual calculations
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about yards per attempt and how this calculator works.
What is yards per attempt?
Yards per attempt, or Y/A, is the average number of passing yards generated for each passing attempt. It is calculated by dividing passing yards by passing attempts.
What is the yards per attempt formula?
The formula is Passing Yards ÷ Passing Attempts.
What is 250 yards on 35 attempts?
250 passing yards on 35 passing attempts equals 7.14 yards per attempt.
What is 300 yards on 40 attempts?
300 passing yards on 40 passing attempts equals 7.50 yards per attempt.
Does yards per attempt include incomplete passes?
Yes. Passing attempts are used as the denominator, so incomplete passes included in the attempt total affect the calculation.
Does yards per attempt include interceptions?
An interception is not a completion. When it is included in the applicable passing-attempt total, it affects the yards-per-attempt calculation through the denominator.
Does yards per attempt include touchdown passes?
Touchdown passes do not require a separate input. Passing yards associated with completed touchdown passes are included in the passing-yard total.
Does yards per attempt include sacks?
Sacks are not included as passing attempts in the standard NFL passing-attempt statistic, and sack yardage is treated separately from passing yards in traditional passing statistics.
Can yards per attempt be greater than 10?
Yes. There is no mathematical maximum of 10 yards per attempt. The result depends on passing yards relative to passing attempts.
Can yards per attempt be zero?
Yes. If passing yards are zero and there is at least one passing attempt, yards per attempt is 0.00.
How do you calculate season yards per attempt?
Divide total season passing yards by total season passing attempts. Do not simply average the yards-per-attempt figures from individual games.
Is yards per attempt the same as yards per completion?
No. Yards per attempt divides passing yards by passing attempts, while yards per completion divides passing yards by completions.
Is yards per attempt the same as passer rating?
No. Yards per attempt is one passing statistic. Traditional passer rating uses several passing statistics in its calculation.
Can passing attempts be zero?
No meaningful yards-per-attempt result can be calculated with zero passing attempts because division by zero is undefined.
Related NFL Calculators
You may also find these NFL and football calculators useful:
- NFL Passer Rating Calculator
- NFL Quarterback Rating Calculator
- Completion Percentage Calculator
- NFL Points Per Game Calculator
- NFL Point Differential Calculator
- NFL Win Percentage Calculator
- NFL Standings Calculator
- Fantasy Football Points Calculator
Final Thoughts
The Yards Per Attempt Calculator provides a quick way to calculate average passing yards per attempt. Enter total passing yards and passing attempts to get the result instantly.
For a single game, use the passing statistics from that game. For a season or multiple games, use the combined passing-yard total and combined passing-attempt total rather than averaging individual game Y/A values.