Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

I'm sure this was discussed on the previous forum, but most of the threads were lost. I know the NFL went thru several different schemes for rating QB's in the years before QB Rating came along in the early 70's. I am unable to locate any of these rating systems as people in the modern era (and I'm probably as guilty of this as anybody) went back and retroactively applied the QB Rating system to QB's in the past, using that to compare them as opposed to using the rating systems that were in place. Does anybody know of a site that lists the various QB rating systems the NFL used, and which seasons they were used? Thanks.

Don't recall the details, but as I recall they used the same basic catagory as are in the current rating, ranked players on each of them. Added the rankings - IE: first in completion percentage, 2nd in YPC, 3rd in TD %, 4th in Int % and the player with the lowest value was the winner, so another QB who was 5th in every category would be a 20.

that's from memory, could be wrong, and I do not recall when this rating "system" started.

I have this thread.
It is not loaded with what you want but there 41 posts and it might have some of what you seek or maybe a link or hint
as to where you can find more.
I will get it up tomorrow or Wednesday.

Elite Quarterbacks
Started by Jeffrey Miller, Jul 08 2014 05:17 PM

It was on the old forum, but here's the PFHOF link showing how the passing champions were determined.

http://www.profootballhof.com/history/r ... se_id=1303

1932-1937: Total yards passing
1938-1940: Percentage of completions
1941-1948: Inverse ranking system of the following categories: completions, percentage of completions, total yards, total TD passes, number of interceptions, and percentage of interceptions.
1949: The same formula used from 1941-148 except the number of interceptions was dropped from the equation.
1950-1959: Average yards gained per pass with a minimum of 100 attempts needed to qualify.
1960-1961: Inverse ranking system based on six categories: total completions, total yards, total TD passes, percentage of completions, percentage of interceptions, average gain per attempt with the principle established of at least 10 attempts per game to qualify.
1962-1971: Inverse ranking system based on four categories: Percentage of completions, total touchdown passes, percentage of interceptions, average gain per attempt.
1972: Same system used from 1962 to 1971 except that the percentage of touchdown passes was substituted for total touchdown passes.
1973-current: Current system

This thread is posted now:
Elite Quarterbacks
Started by Jeffrey Miller, Jul 08 2014 05:17 PM

We should have known you would have that. Nice job, Matt.

Reaser wrote:1938-1940: Percentage of completions

I've seen this before, but I'm not sure it's right. Just to take one example off the top of my head, Frankie Filchock was not the leader in 1939 despite completing more than 60 percent of his passes, far better than Parker Hall, the official leader. It could be that he didn't throw enough to qualify, but he's always listed among the leaders (3rd or 4th, I think), which certainly implies that he did qualify.

The American Association in 1940 used an inverse ranking system that included only two categories: completion percentage and number of completions. The press release for the league at least implies that it's using the system the NFL uses, and if so, that would explain why Filchock didn't lead the NFL. (It also puts a terrific weight on completing a lot of short passes, but Bill Walsh wasn't around at the time to take notice.) So I think it's at least possible that the NFL was using that system from 1938-40.

Bob Gill wrote:I've seen this before, but I'm not sure it's right.

Wish we/someone had the old thread on it because I'm positive we had this exact discussion and what you said was how it was - also how the newspapers of the time describe it - with an inverse ranking system based on those two categories; completion percentage and number of completions.

What "system" does the NFL/PFRA people use to recognize historic passing leaders? The rating system that was in use as that time, or applying the current rating system to past seasons?

Reaser wrote:It was on the old forum, but here's the PFHOF link showing how the passing champions were determined.

http://www.profootballhof.com/history/r ... se_id=1303

1932-1937: Total yards passing
1938-1940: Percentage of completions
1941-1948: Inverse ranking system of the following categories: completions, percentage of completions, total yards, total TD passes, number of interceptions, and percentage of interceptions.
1949: The same formula used from 1941-148 except the number of interceptions was dropped from the equation.
1950-1959: Average yards gained per pass with a minimum of 100 attempts needed to qualify.
1960-1961: Inverse ranking system based on six categories: total completions, total yards, total TD passes, percentage of completions, percentage of interceptions, average gain per attempt with the principle established of at least 10 attempts per game to qualify.
1962-1971: Inverse ranking system based on four categories: Percentage of completions, total touchdown passes, percentage of interceptions, average gain per attempt.
1972: Same system used from 1962 to 1971 except that the percentage of touchdown passes was substituted for total touchdown passes.
1973-current: Current system

What I have is a bit different:
1938-1939: Completions (ties broken by Completion percentage)
1940-1944: Inverse ranking of Completions and Completion percentage
1945: Inverse ranking of Completions, Yards and Touchdowns (32 attempts to qualify)
1946: Inverse ranking of Completions, Completion percentage, Yards, Touchdowns and Interception percentage (32 attempts to qualify)
1947-1949: Inverse ranking of Completions, Completion percentage, Yards, Touchdowns, and Interception percentage (33 attempts to qualify)


And for you AAFC fans:
1946-1948: Inverse ranking of Completions, Yards and "Efficiency". "Efficiency" being Completion percentage minus Interception percentage.
1949: "Record Percentage." "Record Percentage" being the percentage of the 1946-1948 ranking using the 1946-1948 system, of course.

Tod Maher wrote:1938-1939: Completions (ties broken by Completion percentage)
1940-1944: Inverse ranking of Completions and Completion percentage

Found the link I had posted in the old thread for 1939 discussion. The way the "point system" is described for 1939 was also inverse ranking of completions and completion percentage.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 48,4171070