How NFL Measures Hand Size and What It Means for Players
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How NFL Measures Hand Size and What It Means for Players: The NFL Combine is underway, and one of the players receiving a lot of attention is Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans.
How NFL Measures Hand Size
It’s well-known that NFL teams measure the hand size of potential draft picks. But why do they care so much about hand size? And what difference does it make for the player? Here’s a look at how NFL teams measure hand size and what it means for the players.
For quarterbacks and wide receivers
In the NFL, hand size is measured from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the pinky while the hand is extended. The average hand size for a quarterback is 9 inches, while the average hand size for a wide receiver is 10 inches.
Players with larger hands have an advantage because they can better grip the ball and make more precise throws. Larger hands also make it easier to catch the ball and avoid drops. In general, quarterbacks with larger hands tend to be more accurate, while wide receivers with larger hands tend to have more catches and fewer drops.
Hand size is just one of many factors that NFL scouts consider when evaluating players. Other important factors include arm strength, speed, agility, and intelligence.
For linemen
NFL teams measure hand size as part of the medical examination at the Scouting Combine. For linemen, hand size is important because it’s one way to determine whether a player can generate enough power to control an opponent. The average hand size for an NFL lineman is 10 3/8 inches.
What It Means for Players
The NFL has been measuring hand size at its Scouting Combine since the early 2000s. The league started doing so because it wanted to get a better understanding of which players might be more likely to fumble the football. More recent studies have shown that there might be a correlation between hand size and certain position groups. Let’s take a look at what this all means for NFL players.
For quarterbacks and wide receivers
The average hand size for an NFL quarterback is 9 3/4 inches, while the average hand size for an NFL wide receiver is 10 inches. There are some notable exceptions, however. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has very small hands for his 6-foot-4-inch frame, with a hand size of 9 inches. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, on the other hand, has very large hands for his 6-foot-2-inch frame, with a hand size of 10 1/4 inches.
While hand size isn’t the only factor that determines success as a quarterback or wide receiver, it can be helpful in certain situations. For example, a receiver with smaller hands might have more difficulty catching a pass in windy conditions than a receiver with larger hands. A quarterback with larger hands might be able to better grip the ball in cold weather than a quarterback with smaller hands.
For linemen
While for quarterbacks and other skill-position players, smaller hands might be an advantage for ball security or making plays in confined spaces, for linemen, bigger is almost always better. That’s because larger hands give offensive and defensive linemen a better grip on their opponents, which gives them an advantage in both pass-rushing and blocking.
There are exceptions, of course. Some of the best pass-rushers in NFL history — including Michael Strahan, Bruce Smith and sack artist Jared Allen — have had comparatively small hands. But they are the exception that proves the rule: In general, the bigger the hands, the better.
