# NFL yardage questions **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 23, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-yardage-questions/638599 "2012-10-23T05:39:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-yardage-questions/638599/1 "2012-10-23T05:39:52Z")
Does a player get credited on his total yardage stats for intercepting a pass thrown by the other team? Does a player get credited for yardage if his attempt to catch the pass is interfered with and the ball is spotted at the point of the foul? ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-yardage-questions/638599/2 "2012-10-23T05:50:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Does a player get credited on his total yardage stats for intercepting a pass thrown by the other team? Yes, from the point of interception (not line of scrimmage). > **[List of NFL individual records | Interception return yards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Football_League_records_(individual)#Interception_return_yards)** > > 1.Most seasons leading league: 3, Darren Sharper, 2002, 2005, 2009: s-15  | > 2.Most interception return yards, career: 1,590, Ed Reed, 2002–2013 | > 3.Most yards per interception return, career (minimum 30 interceptions): 25.1 (1,331 yards/53 INTS), Deion Sanders, 1989–2000, 2004–2005 | > 4.Most yards per interception return, career (minimum 20 interceptions): 27.6 (608 yards/22 INTS), Erik McMillan, 1989–1993 | > 5.Most interception return yards, season: 376, Darren Sharper, New Orleans Saints, 1.... > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Does a player get credited for yardage if his attempt to catch the pass is interfered with and the ball is spotted at the point of the foul? No. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/david\_sabino/07/24/quarterbacks-penalties/index.html](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/david_sabino/07/24/quarterbacks-penalties/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-yardage-questions/638599/3 "2012-10-23T07:46:20Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > Yes, from the point of interception (not line of scrimmage). > > [List of NFL individual records - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Football_League_records_(individual)#Interception_return_yards) I was asking about receiving yards for catching the ball. Those statistics seem to be talking about running yards after the catch. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-yardage-questions/638599/4 "2012-10-23T08:21:22Z")
Interception return yards, fumble return yards, kick return yards, punt return yards, and receiving yards (… and etc.) are all distinct from each other. So, a defender who intercepts and returns a pass will be credited with interception return yards, but not receiving yards (because an “interception” is not the same thing as a “reception,” even though either may colloquially be referred to as a “catch”). Of course, turnover return yards are pretty damn esoteric as far as stats go – kept only by a few, referenced almost never, and maybe difficult to even find. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-yardage-questions/638599/5 "2012-10-23T12:58:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I was asking about receiving yards for catching the ball. Those statistics seem to be talking about running yards after the catch. Right, they’re only counting yards gained after the interception. Why would a defensive back get credit for the yards the ball is in the air? The more yards, the worse for the defense. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-yardage-questions/638599/6 "2012-10-23T17:25:47Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > Right, they’re only counting yards gained after the interception. Why would a defensive back get credit for the yards the ball is in the air? The more yards, the worse for the defense. I think there’s a skills issue. An offensive player gets recognition for catching a pass. A defensive player making an interception is also catching a pass and doing so under more difficult circumstances - the pass wasn’t being thrown to him. So I figure he should get at least as much recognition as an offensive receiver gets. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-yardage-questions/638599/7 "2012-10-23T17:36:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I think there’s a skills issue. An offensive player gets recognition for catching a pass. A defensive player making an interception is also catching a pass and doing so under more difficult circumstances - the pass wasn’t being thrown to him. So I figure he should get at least as much recognition as an offensive receiver gets. But a long pass is not necessarily harder to intercept than a short pass. An interception is an interception. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-yardage-questions/638599/8 "2012-10-25T14:27:57Z")
If anything, a long pass is easier to intercept. The ball will be traveling more slowly and in a higher arc.