What is Adjusted Yards Per Attempt and Why Should You Care?
Have you ever wondered how to really gauge a quarterback's performance? Sure, you've got your basic stats like total passing yards and touchdowns, but there's more to the story. Enter Adjusted Yards Per Attempt (AYPA) - a statistic that gives a fuller picture by factoring in touchdowns and interceptions.
In essence, AYPA tells you not just how far a quarterback throws but how efficiently they do it. Why should you care? Because winning football games isn't just about racking up yards; it's about making those yards meaningful.
By incorporating touchdowns and interceptions into the calculation, AYPA offers a more nuanced view of a quarterback's contribution to the team's success. It essentially helps you understand a quarterback's ability to drive the team toward scoring points and avoid costly turnovers.
How to Calculate Adjusted Yards Per Attempt
Calculating AYPA isn't rocket science; you just need to follow a few simple steps:
- Find the Total Adjusted Yards (AY): This is the sum of passing yards, with touchdowns adding more value and interceptions subtracting from it
- Get the Total Number of Attempts (A): This is the number of times the quarterback has thrown the ball
- Apply the Formula:
[\text{AYPA} = \frac{\text{Adjusted Yards}}{\text{Attempts}}]
Where:
- Adjusted Yards is the total yards adjusted for touchdowns and interceptions
- Attempts is the total number of passing attempts by the quarterback
Put simply, divide the total adjusted yards by the total attempts to get your AYPA.
Calculation Example
Let's put theory into practice. Suppose we've got the following stats for a fictional quarterback:
- Total Adjusted Yards: 850 yards
- Total Attempts: 250 attempts
First, let's plug in these numbers into our formula:
[\text{AYPA} = \frac{850}{250} = 3.4]
With an AYPA of 3.4 yards per attempt, you can better gauge this quarterback's efficiency, offering more insights than just raw passing yards.
Using AYPA in Analysis
AYPA is most valuable when comparing quarterbacks or tracking performance over time. A quarterback with high total yards but a low AYPA might be padding stats in garbage time, while one with fewer yards but higher AYPA is likely more efficient and impactful.
Elite NFL quarterbacks typically maintain an AYPA above 7.0, while the league average hovers around 6.0-6.5. Values below 5.5 often indicate struggles with efficiency or decision-making.