Need help on a "statistical" question

[LandryFan]

How does the NFL determine when a yard is gained? If the nose of the ball is just short of a particular yard line and is advanced just over that line, did the ball officially advance a yard even though it didn't advance more than a few inches? On the flip side of that, a ball could advance almost three feet within a yard lines and not be called advancing a yard? Or, does the ball have to advance one full yard? Does anyone out there know? Thanks.

 

[LandryFan]

Bump..trying to get an answer. Thanks.

 

[Nav22]

Good question... I have no idea.

 

[DallasEast]

I don't know what the official determination is either, but I would wager that stats are recorded by yards instead of by feet or inches in any circumstance since all other measurements are in yards only.

 

[LandryFan]

I ask because I track every play of every game and I'm always off a yard here and there. I assume it's because I don't know when a yard is really a yard...Adam to the rescue?

 

[LandryFan]

Bump...one last time.

 

[jazzcat22]

I think they go by the hash marks. It's not considered a yard until it passes over that "barrier"

 

[Nav22]

Just an FYI... if you follow games live on NFL.com Gamecenter, it updates each play with accurate stats (most of the time).

So that would eliminate the need to track the stats manually.

 

[LandryFan]

Just an FYI... if you follow games live on NFL.com Gamecenter, it updates each play with accurate stats (most of the time).

So that would eliminate the need to track the stats manually.

Thanks, Nav, but I track them manually as a sort of ritual and really, just for fun. I don't have a computer close to my TV's so that isn't possible for me anyways.

 

[Quarterback Coach]

For measurements (official) the NFL mandates "tip of the football." I would ASSUME (not official) that based on that as soon as the "tip" crosse a hashmark you get credit.

(i.e. If the ball is on the 1/2 yard mark, and then it is rushed in for a TD, you get a 1 yard TD run credit.)

 

[AdamJT13]

If the ball is completely past a yard line, it is officially recorded at the next yard line. The only exceptions are inside the 1 (recorded as the 1 even if the ball is past the 1) and sometimes between the 10 and 11 (a first down just outside the 10 would be recorded at the 11).

 

[LandryFan]

If the ball is completely past a yard line, it is officially recorded at the next yard line. The only exceptions are inside the 1 (recorded as the 1 even if the ball is past the 1) and sometimes between the 10 and 11 (a first down just outside the 10 would be recorded at the 11).

Thanks, Adam. You da man!