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Yards After Catch Calculator
Calculate total yards after catch (YAC), average YAC per reception, and YAC share of total receiving yards for a receiver.
Calculator
Formula
Total YAC is the sum of yards gained by a receiver after the catch across all receptions. YAC/Rec divides total YAC by the number of receptions. YAC% expresses total YAC as a percentage of total receiving yards, indicating how self-created the receiver's production is.
Source: Pro Football Reference Glossary; NFL Next Gen Stats YAC definitions (NFL.com).
How it works
Yards After Catch (YAC) measures how many yards a receiver gains from the moment he secures the ball to when he is tackled, runs out of bounds, or scores. The core metric YAC per Reception is calculated by dividing total YAC by the number of successful receptions. A higher value signals a receiver who creates yards through run-after-catch ability rather than relying solely on route separation and the quarterback's placement.
YAC% (YAC share) expresses total YAC as a proportion of total receiving yards. A YAC% of 50% means half of the receiver's yards were generated after the catch. Slot receivers and running backs typically post high YAC% because they catch short, high-percentage passes and then run through open space. Deep threats often show low YAC% because most of their yards accumulate before the catch.
Air yards — the distance the ball travels through the air before the catch — are estimated here as Total Receiving Yards minus Total YAC. Combining YAC%, air yards, catch rate, and yards per target gives a complete picture of receiver efficiency useful for scouting, scheme analysis, and fantasy sports valuation.
Worked example
Consider a wide receiver with the following season totals: 110 targets, 80 receptions, 1,200 receiving yards, and 600 yards after catch.
Step 1 — YAC per Reception: 600 YAC ÷ 80 receptions = 7.50 yards per reception. This is an elite mark; the NFL average for wide receivers is roughly 4–5 YAC/rec.
Step 2 — YAC%: 600 ÷ 1,200 × 100 = 50.0%. Half of this receiver's production came after the ball was in his hands.
Step 3 — Air Yards: 1,200 − 600 = 600 air yards across the season, meaning the other 50% was accumulated through target depth and separation.
Step 4 — Catch Rate: 80 ÷ 110 × 100 = 72.7%, slightly above the league average of ~65–68% for WRs.
Step 5 — Yards per Target: 1,200 ÷ 110 = 10.91 yards per target, an excellent figure that reflects both a solid catch rate and high YAC.
Limitations & notes
This calculator relies entirely on user-entered statistics and cannot validate whether the inputs are internally consistent (e.g., total YAC cannot exceed total receiving yards). Air yards shown here are estimated as the difference between total receiving yards and YAC; official NFL air yards are tracked per-play by Next Gen Stats and may differ slightly due to rounding. YAC is also scheme-dependent — a receiver in a run-after-catch heavy offense (e.g., Air Raid or West Coast) will naturally accumulate more YAC than one used primarily as a deep threat or jump-ball receiver. Comparisons across positions (WR vs. RB vs. TE) should be made cautiously because role and alignment heavily influence YAC opportunities. Statistics for partial seasons or small sample sizes (fewer than ~20 receptions) may produce misleading averages.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good yards after catch average for an NFL wide receiver?
League-average YAC per reception for wide receivers typically falls between 4.0 and 5.5 yards. A mark above 6.0 YAC/rec is considered elite and often indicates exceptional run-after-catch ability, effective scheme usage, or a high rate of catch-and-run routes. Slot receivers and running backs usually lead the league because they catch shorter, quicker passes with space ahead of them.
What is the difference between yards after catch and air yards?
Air yards measure the distance the ball travels through the air from the line of scrimmage to the catch point, reflecting target depth and quarterback boldness. YAC measures everything that happens after the ball is caught. Together they sum to total receiving yards. A player with high air yards and low YAC is a deep threat; a player with low air yards and high YAC is a short-area playmaker who creates with the ball in his hands.
Do running backs or wide receivers typically have more YAC?
Running backs almost universally lead all positions in YAC per reception because they catch short check-down and screen passes and then run through open space against a defense that has rotated to stop the run. Wide receivers generally post lower YAC because many routes are contested deep or intermediate patterns. Tight ends vary widely depending on whether they are used as in-line blockers (low YAC) or move tight ends catching in open space (high YAC).
How does YAC% help evaluate a receiver's self-created production?
YAC% separates 'quarterback-created' yards (air yards) from 'receiver-created' yards (YAC). A very high YAC% (above 60%) can indicate a receiver in a short-area, catch-and-run scheme, possibly masking limited route-running ability or separation. A very low YAC% may indicate a deep threat who relies on big targets rather than run-after-catch skill. Ideally, evaluators look at YAC% alongside separation metrics and target depth to get a full picture.
Can this calculator be used for college football statistics?
Yes. The formulas for YAC per reception, YAC%, catch rate, and yards per target are universal and apply to any level of football — NFL, college, high school, or arena leagues. However, be aware that YAC tracking methodology can vary between data providers at lower levels, and cross-level comparisons should be treated with caution because scheme complexity and competition level differ significantly.
Why might a receiver have a high total YAC but a low YAC per reception?
Total YAC accumulates over a large number of receptions, so a receiver with 150 catches on short routes may post a high total YAC even if each individual gain after the catch is modest — perhaps only 3–4 yards per reception. High-volume slot receivers or pass-catching backs often fall into this category: big absolute YAC numbers but unremarkable per-reception averages because they catch so many short, quick passes.
Last updated: 2025-01-30 · Formula verified against primary sources.