Enter the total yards gained and the number of carries into the calculator to determine the yards per carry for a running back.
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Yards Per Carry Formula
YPC = Rushing Yards / Carries
- YPC — yards per carry (rushing average)
- Rushing Yards — net yards gained on rush attempts (gains minus losses)
- Carries — total rush attempts; sacks and kneel-downs are not counted as carries in standard NFL stats
Receiving yards, return yards, and yardage from penalties are excluded. For multi-game totals, sum yards and carries first, then divide. Averaging the per-game YPC values gives a different, weighted-incorrect number.
Reference Tables
Use these to interpret the number the calculator returns.
| YPC | Rating | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3.0 | Poor | Below replacement at the NFL level |
| 3.0 – 3.7 | Below average | Common for short-yardage backs |
| 3.8 – 4.2 | Average | Near league mean (~4.3) |
| 4.3 – 4.9 | Good | Starter-quality production |
| 5.0 – 5.9 | Excellent | Top-10 season territory |
| 6.0+ | Elite | Rare over a full workload |
| Level | Typical YPC | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NFL (team) | 4.2 – 4.4 | League average over recent seasons |
| NFL (lead RB) | 4.0 – 5.0 | Volume backs cluster here |
| NCAA FBS | 4.5 – 5.5 | Higher than NFL due to talent gaps |
| High school | 5.0 – 7.0 | Wide variance by program |
Examples and FAQ
Example 1. A back goes 18 carries for 84 yards. YPC = 84 / 18 = 4.67. That rates as good and beats the league average.
Example 2. Season totals of 1,215 yards on 272 carries. YPC = 1,215 / 272 = 4.47. Solid starter-level efficiency.
Do sacks count against a quarterback's YPC? In the NFL, no. Sack yardage is charged to passing, not rushing. In college, sacks count as rushing losses, which is why college QB rushing totals often look lower than they should.
Why does my multi-game average not match the per-game numbers? YPC is weighted by carries. A 10-carry, 80-yard game (8.0) and a 20-carry, 60-yard game (3.0) average to 4.67 overall, not 5.5. Always combine totals before dividing.
What about kneel-downs? Official stats include them, which drags QB YPC down. If you want a true rushing average, subtract kneel yards and attempts before entering the totals.
