About the Passer Rating Calculator
Quarterbacks are judged on many things, but one number appears on every broadcast and statistics page: passer rating. Introduced by the NFL in 1973, it combines four passing statistics — completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown rate and interception rate — into a single figure on a scale from 0 to 158.3. College football uses its own version, called passing efficiency.
This passer rating calculator works out the NFL passer rating (also used by the CFL) or the NCAA passing efficiency rating from attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns and interceptions. It shows each of the four parts of the NFL formula, the other league's figure for comparison, and the underlying rates.
How to Use the Passer Rating Calculator
Choose the formula: NFL passer rating or NCAA passing efficiency.
Enter the number of pass attempts and completions.
Enter the passing yards, touchdown passes and interceptions.
The inputs can be for a single game, a season or a whole career.
How Passer Rating Is Worked Out
a = (completions ÷ attempts − 0.3) × 5
b = (yards ÷ attempts − 3) × 0.25
c = touchdowns ÷ attempts × 20
d = 2.375 − interceptions ÷ attempts × 25
each part is limited to between 0 and 2.375
NFL rating = (a + b + c + d) ÷ 6 × 100
NCAA efficiency = (8.4 × yards + 330 × TD + 100 × completions − 200 × INT) ÷ attemptsStep-by-Step Example
260 of 400 for 3,000 yards, 25 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.
a: (260 ÷ 400 − 0.3) × 5 = 1.750
b: (3,000 ÷ 400 − 3) × 0.25 = 1.125
c: 25 ÷ 400 × 20 = 1.250
d: 2.375 − 8 ÷ 400 × 25 = 1.875
NFL: (1.75 + 1.125 + 1.25 + 1.875) ÷ 6 × 100 = 100.0
NCAA: (25,200 + 8,250 + 26,000 − 1,600) ÷ 400 = 144.6The Perfect Passer Rating
Each part is capped at 2.375, which makes the maximum rating (4 × 2.375) ÷ 6 × 100 = 158.3. To reach it, a quarterback needs at least a 77.5 percent completion rate, 12.5 yards per attempt and a touchdown on at least 11.875 percent of attempts, with no interceptions. Perfect ratings happen in individual games from time to time, but never over a full season. At the other end, each part cannot fall below zero, so the lowest possible rating is 0.
What Is a Good Passer Rating?
In today's NFL, a rating around 90 is roughly league average for a starter, 100 is excellent, and 110 or more over a season is elite. The formula was designed in the 1970s so that an average quarterback rated about 66.7, but passing has become far more efficient since, so ratings have risen steadily. Comparing quarterbacks from different decades on passer rating alone flatters modern players.
NCAA Passing Efficiency
College football uses a different formula with no cap, so ratings can exceed 200 in a game or even fall below zero. Typical season figures for good college quarterbacks are in the 140s to 160s, and elite seasons exceed 180. Because the scales are different, never compare an NCAA rating with an NFL one directly — the example quarterback rates 100.0 by NFL rules but 144.6 by NCAA rules.
Limits of Passer Rating
Passer rating ignores sacks, rushing, fumbles, the down and distance, and whether a long completion came in garbage time. It rewards touchdown passes heavily and treats every interception the same. Newer measures such as adjusted net yards per attempt and ESPN's QBR try to account for more of the game, but passer rating remains the standard official statistic because anyone can calculate it from a box score.
How Each Part Affects the Rating
Because the four parts carry equal weight, improvements in different areas can have the same effect. In the example, raising the completion rate from 65 to 70 percent adds 0.25 to part a, and so about 4.2 rating points. Adding one more touchdown on 400 attempts adds 0.05 to part c, about 0.8 points, while one fewer interception adds 0.0625 to part d, about 1 point. An extra half a yard per attempt — 200 more yards on 400 throws — adds 0.125 to part b, about 2.1 points. The formula therefore rewards accuracy and avoiding interceptions as much as big plays.
Single Games and Small Samples
In a single game, a quarterback with few attempts can post an extreme rating. Two completions from two attempts for 40 yards and a touchdown gives a perfect 158.3, while one attempt intercepted gives a rating of zero. Over a whole season of 400 to 600 attempts, ratings settle and become a better guide to quality. When comparing players, check that they have a reasonable number of attempts.
Passer Rating in Other Leagues
The Canadian Football League uses the same formula as the NFL, although its larger field and different rules produce different typical figures. Many high-school and amateur leagues also use the NFL formula, which makes this calculator useful at every level of the game.
Where the Numbers Come From
The formula was devised by Don Smith of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and others at the request of the NFL, which wanted a single fair way to rank passers. Each of the four parts was scaled using league statistics from 1960 to 1970 so that an average performance scored 1.0 and a record-setting one about 2.0, with the cap of 2.375 set a little above the best seasons then on record. The final multiplication by 100 and division by 6 simply put the result on a convenient scale.
Understanding Your Result
Passer rating is the rating on the chosen formula.
Other formula gives the rating on the other league's formula.
Rates shows completion percentage, yards per attempt, and touchdown and interception rates.
Rating describes the level of performance.
Worth knowing explains the scale.
When Should You Use This Calculator?
Rating a quarterback's game or season.
Checking official statistics.
Comparing college and NFL passing numbers.
Keeping stats for a high-school or amateur team.
Understanding what drives the rating up or down.
Common Mistakes
Comparing NFL and NCAA ratings directly.
Forgetting the 2.375 cap on each part.
Comparing quarterbacks from very different eras.
Using rushing yards instead of passing yards.
Treating passer rating as a complete measure of a quarterback.