Understanding Yards Before Contact: What YBC Tells You About a Running Back's Blocking
What yards before contact reveals about a running back’s situation: a running back’s rushing yards split into two parts — the yards he gains before any defender touches him, and the yards he earns after contact. Yards before contact (YBC) measures the first part, and it largely reflects something other than the back himself: his blocking. When a back consistently reaches the second level untouched, his offensive line is opening clean lanes; when he is met at or behind the line, the blocking is failing him. That makes yards before contact a useful window into a back’s situation rather than his individual talent. Paired with yards after contact (which isolates the back’s own skill), it helps you separate how much of a back’s production comes from his blocking versus himself — which is key to projecting how he will fare if his situation changes.
Understanding Yards Before Contact
What yards before contact captures:
The core of the metric: (1) it measures yards gained before any defender contact — the cushion a back’s blocking provides before he has to make anyone miss, which is largely a product of the offensive line and scheme rather than the back’s own elusiveness; (2) it reflects blocking quality — a back with high yards before contact is running behind a line that opens clean lanes, while one with low yards before contact is being met early, signaling poor blocking (closely tied to our offensive line impact guide); (3) it is more about situation than skill — unlike yards after contact (which isolates the back’s own ability), yards before contact tells you about the environment the back runs in; (4) it varies with scheme, since some run schemes are designed to create more clean yardage than others, which shows up in a back’s yards before contact.
How it reflects blocking and scheme:
Reading the context: (1) high yards before contact signals strong blocking — a back consistently reaching the second level untouched is benefiting from a line and scheme that create running room, which inflates his production beyond his own contribution; (2) low yards before contact signals a tough environment — a back met at or behind the line is fighting his blocking, so even a talented back will struggle to produce, which is a warning about his situation; (3) it explains line-dependent production — a back whose value leans on high yards before contact is more dependent on his blocking, so he is a risk if his line or scheme changes; (4) it interacts with scheme fit, since the same back can have very different yards before contact in different run schemes, which matters when projecting a situation change.
How to pair it with yards after contact and use both:
Putting it together: (1) use the two metrics together to separate back from blocking — high yards before contact plus modest yards after contact suggests a back boosted by his line, while modest yards before contact plus high yards after contact suggests a talented back overcoming poor blocking; (2) identify line-dependent backs to be cautious of — a back whose production leans on yards before contact may regress if his blocking declines, so weigh that risk in his outlook; (3) find talented backs in bad situations to target — a back with strong yards after contact but low yards before contact is a buy if his blocking improves, since his own skill is intact (the value the metrics reveal); (4) combine with opportunity and situation, since these efficiency splits refine your read on a back but he still needs volume and a reasonable situation to produce, so use them alongside our opportunity share and offensive line analysis.
For how this fits a broader approach, see our yards after contact guide and fantasy football tips hub. Start at the learn hub for the full fundamentals library.