Total offense (or total offence) is a
statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player. Total offense differs from
yards from scrimmage
Yards from scrimmage is a gridiron football statistical measure. In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing the football towards the opposing team's goal line. Progress can be made during play by the offensive team by advancing t ...
, which gives credit for passing yardage to the person receiving the football rather than the person throwing the football.
In the game of football, progress is measured by advancing the
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
towards the opposing team's
goal line. The team on offense can make progress during the play by advancing the ball from the
line of scrimmage.
When the offensive team advances the ball by
rushing the football, the player who carries the ball is given credit for the net gain, measured in rushing yards. When the offensive team advances the ball by
pass reception, the player who throws the ball earns passing yards and the player who receives the ball earns receiving yards. The total of rushing yards and passing yards (but not receiving yards) is known as total offense. Although the ball may also be advanced by penalty, these yards do not contribute to total offense. Progress lost via
quarterback sack
In gridiron football, a sack occurs when the quarterback (or another offensive player acting as a passer) is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before throwing a forward pass, when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in t ...
s are classified differently, depending upon the league and/or level of football.
When defenses are measured on total offense allowed, it is called total defense.
Some definitions of individual total offense give credit to both the passer and receiver for passing yards. Thus, if a
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
catches a pass in a trick play, or a non-quarterback throws a pass, some statistical issues arise.
Steve McNair holds the NCAA career and single-season total offense/game records.
Case Keenum
Casey Austin Keenum (born February 17, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Houston, where he became the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing ya ...
,
B. J. Symons, and
David Klingler
David Ryan Klingler (born February 17, 1969) is an associate professor of Bible exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary and a former American football quarterback.
College career
A 6-foot, 2-inch quarterback, Klingler rewrote numerous college p ...
hold the total offense career, single-season and single game records.
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NCAA definition
The National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
(NCAA) defines the term as "Total offense is the total of net gain rushing and net gain forward passing. Receiving and runback yards are not included in total offense." (at pg. 206).
See also
* Glossary of American football
Notes
{{American football concepts
American football terminology