The Yards Per Carry Calculator calculates a player's average rushing yards per rushing attempt. Enter total rushing yards and rushing attempts to instantly calculate YPC, also commonly called a player's rushing average.
What Is Yards Per Carry?
Yards per carry (YPC) measures how many rushing yards a player gains on average for each rushing attempt.
YPC is calculated by dividing total rushing yards by total rushing attempts. It is one of the basic statistics used to describe rushing efficiency in football.
Yards per carry is also commonly called rushing average. Both terms refer to the same basic calculation: rushing yards divided by rushing attempts.
Yards Per Carry Formula
The formula is:
Yards Per Carry = Rushing Yards ÷ Rushing Attempts
For example, if a player has 100 rushing yards on 20 rushing attempts:
100 ÷ 20 = 5.00 yards per carry
The player's yards per carry is therefore 5.00 yards per rushing attempt.
How to Calculate Yards Per Carry
To calculate YPC:
- Find the player's total rushing yards.
- Find the player's total rushing attempts.
- Divide rushing yards by rushing attempts.
- Round the result to the desired number of decimal places.
Our calculator performs these steps automatically and displays the result to two decimal places.
Yards Per Carry Example
Suppose a running back records 125 rushing yards on 25 rushing attempts.
YPC = 125 ÷ 25 = 5.00
The player's rushing average is 5.00 yards per carry.
Yards Per Carry Examples
| Rushing Yards | Rushing Attempts | YPC |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 20 | 5.00 |
| 120 | 30 | 4.00 |
| 75 | 25 | 3.00 |
| 0 | 10 | 0.00 |
| -10 | 5 | -2.00 |
What Does Yards Per Carry Mean?
YPC represents the average number of rushing yards gained for each rushing attempt. A higher YPC means more rushing yards were gained per attempt, while a lower YPC means fewer yards were gained per attempt.
YPC should be interpreted in context. Opponent quality, offensive line performance, game situation, rushing volume, long runs, short-yardage plays, and sample size can all affect the statistic.
General YPC Interpretation
The following ranges provide a general statistical way to understand YPC. They are not strict performance ratings because football statistics depend heavily on context.
| YPC | General Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 0 or below | No positive net rushing production |
| 1–3 | Lower rushing efficiency |
| 3–4 | Moderate rushing efficiency |
| 4–5 | Higher rushing efficiency |
| 5+ | Very high rushing average |
What Counts as a Rushing Attempt?
A rushing attempt is an official rushing attempt recorded in a player's statistics. When calculating YPC, use the official rushing-attempt total rather than manually counting every offensive play.
Passing attempts, receptions, receiving plays, and other non-rushing statistics should not be added to the rushing-attempt total.
For the most accurate calculation, use the rushing yards and rushing attempts reported in the relevant official or statistical source.
Yards Per Carry vs. Rushing Yards
Rushing yards measure the total number of yards gained or lost through rushing.
Yards per carry measures the average rushing yards gained per attempt.
For example, two players could both have 100 rushing yards, but the player who needed 20 attempts has a 5.00 YPC average, while a player who needed 30 attempts has a 3.33 YPC average.
Yards Per Carry vs. Rushing Average
In football statistics, yards per carry and rushing average generally refer to the same calculation.
Both are calculated as:
Rushing Yards ÷ Rushing Attempts
Yards Per Carry vs. Yards Per Attempt
Yards per carry is specifically associated with rushing. Yards per attempt is commonly used for passing statistics and is calculated from passing yards and passing attempts.
Therefore, rushing YPC and passing YPA should not be treated as the same statistic even though both measure average yards per attempt.
Yards Per Carry vs. Passing Yards
YPC only uses rushing statistics. Passing yards are not included in the calculation.
If you want to measure a quarterback's passing efficiency, use passing statistics such as completion percentage, yards per attempt, passer rating, or quarterback rating.
Does YPC Include Receiving Yards?
No. Receiving yards are not included in yards per carry.
A player's rushing YPC uses only rushing yards and rushing attempts. Receiving yards and receptions are separate statistics.
Does YPC Include Rushing Touchdowns?
No. Rushing touchdowns are not part of the YPC formula.
A player can score several rushing touchdowns while having a relatively low YPC, or have a high YPC without scoring a rushing touchdown. Touchdowns and rushing efficiency are separate statistics.
Can Yards Per Carry Be Zero?
Yes. If a player records zero rushing yards on one or more rushing attempts, the YPC can be 0.00.
For example:
0 rushing yards ÷ 10 rushing attempts = 0.00 YPC
Can Yards Per Carry Be Negative?
Yes. YPC can be negative when a player's total rushing yards are negative.
For example, if a player loses 10 rushing yards on 5 attempts:
-10 ÷ 5 = -2.00 YPC
This means the player averaged a net loss of 2 yards per rushing attempt.
Can Yards Per Carry Have Decimals?
Yes. YPC commonly contains decimal values because the number of rushing yards does not always divide evenly by the number of attempts.
For example:
100 ÷ 24 = 4.1667...
Rounded to two decimal places, the YPC is 4.17.
Can YPC Be Greater Than 10?
Yes. There is no mathematical maximum of 10 yards per carry. A player can have a YPC above 10 when total rushing yards are high relative to rushing attempts.
For example:
120 rushing yards ÷ 10 attempts = 12.00 YPC
A small number of attempts can also make a player's YPC unusually high because one or more long runs can have a large effect on the average.
Why You Should Not Simply Average Game YPCs
When calculating a season or multi-game YPC, you should generally use total rushing yards divided by total rushing attempts rather than simply averaging the YPC from each game.
For example, suppose a player has:
- Game 1: 50 yards on 10 attempts = 5.00 YPC
- Game 2: 80 yards on 20 attempts = 4.00 YPC
Simply averaging the two game averages gives 4.50 YPC. But the combined statistic is:
(50 + 80) ÷ (10 + 20) = 130 ÷ 30 = 4.33 YPC
The combined calculation is more appropriate because it accounts for the different number of attempts in each game.
Single-Game Yards Per Carry
YPC can be calculated for a single game by using the player's rushing yards and rushing attempts from that game.
For example, 90 rushing yards on 18 attempts produces:
90 ÷ 18 = 5.00 YPC
Season Yards Per Carry
To calculate season-long YPC, use the player's total rushing yards and total rushing attempts for the season.
For example, if a player finishes a season with 1,200 rushing yards on 240 attempts:
1,200 ÷ 240 = 5.00 YPC
The player's season rushing average is therefore 5.00 yards per carry.
Why Use a Yards Per Carry Calculator?
Calculating YPC manually is simple, but an online calculator helps reduce arithmetic errors and provides the result immediately.
This calculator can be useful for:
- Checking individual game statistics
- Analyzing season rushing statistics
- Comparing rushing efficiency across players
- Checking fantasy football statistics
- Studying NFL statistics
- Verifying manually calculated YPC values
- Understanding rushing efficiency
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about yards per carry, rushing average, and the YPC calculation.
What is the formula for yards per carry?
Yards per carry is calculated by dividing rushing yards by rushing attempts. The formula is Rushing Yards ÷ Rushing Attempts.
Is yards per carry the same as rushing average?
Yes. Yards per carry and rushing average generally refer to the same statistic: rushing yards divided by rushing attempts.
What does YPC stand for?
YPC stands for Yards Per Carry. It measures the average number of rushing yards gained per rushing attempt.
Can YPC be negative?
Yes. If total rushing yards are negative, YPC can also be negative. For example, -10 rushing yards on 5 attempts equals -2.00 YPC.
Can YPC be zero?
Yes. A player who records zero rushing yards on one or more attempts can have a YPC of 0.00.
Can YPC be greater than 10?
Yes. There is no mathematical maximum for YPC. A player can exceed 10 YPC if rushing yards are high relative to rushing attempts.
Does YPC include receiving yards?
No. YPC only uses rushing yards and rushing attempts. Receiving yards are separate from rushing statistics.
Does YPC include rushing touchdowns?
No. Rushing touchdowns are not part of the YPC formula.
How do I calculate season YPC?
Divide total season rushing yards by total season rushing attempts. Do not simply average individual game YPC values when the games have different numbers of attempts.
What happens if rushing attempts are zero?
YPC cannot be calculated when rushing attempts are zero because division by zero is undefined. This calculator therefore requires at least one rushing attempt.
What is the difference between YPC and passing yards per attempt?
YPC measures rushing yards per rushing attempt, while passing yards per attempt measures passing yards per passing attempt. They are separate statistics.
Related NFL Calculators
Explore more NFL statistics calculators on Revisiting Tools:
- NFL Yards Per Attempt Calculator
- NFL Completion Percentage Calculator
- NFL Passing Touchdown Percentage Calculator
- NFL Interception Percentage Calculator
- NFL Quarterback Rating Calculator
- NFL Passer Rating Calculator
- NFL Points Per Game Calculator
- NFL Point Differential Calculator
Final Thoughts
Yards per carry is a simple but useful rushing statistic. It shows the average number of rushing yards gained per rushing attempt and is also commonly referred to as rushing average.
To calculate it, simply divide total rushing yards by total rushing attempts. For season or multi-game calculations, use the combined rushing yards and combined rushing attempts rather than averaging individual game YPC values.
Use the calculator above whenever you want a quick and accurate YPC calculation.