IPV Glossary
Definitions for every metric and term used in the IPV system. Click any term to jump directly to its definition.
Core Metric
A measure of a quarterback's performance that accounts for factors outside of his control and isolates only his individual value. The values are based on Expected Points Added (EPA)* and are scaled with an IPV score of 0 representing an average NFL starter. A quarterback's IPV represents how many points an average NFL team would score with him at quarterback compared to how many they would score with the average NFL starter.
IPV is recorded as Total IPV and IPV/Game , which divides Total IPV by the number of plays recorded and multiplies the result by 32.7 (the average pass attempts per game in 2024). It is also divided into four component scores that represent different aspects of quarterback play and their impact on a player's IPV:
*Play-by-play EPA data is sourced from rbsdm.com
Component Categories
Decision Making represents the IPV value attributed to a QB's ability to arrive at the optimal decision on each play, taking advantage of open targets and avoiding inadvisable throws. It is calculated by deducting the IPV a QB generates on plays where he deviates from the expected decision from the IPV an average NFL starter would generate due to poor decision making, derived from his expected misread rate and misread EPA on each play.
Note: Decision Making does not include a QB's ability to effectively execute decisions.
Handling Pressure represents the IPV value attributed to a QB's ability to avoid pressure-induced negative plays. These include sacks and negative plays in which the expected result is a sack or throwaway where a misread was not recorded. It is calculated by deducting the IPV a QB generates on pressure-induced negative plays from the IPV values an average NFL starter would expect to generate due to poor handling of pressure in the same situations, derived from his expected sack rate and sack EPA and expected non-misread negative rate and non-misread negative EPA on each play.
Creativity represents the IPV value attributed to a QB's ability to create an outcome that exceeds a playcall's expected decision. It is calculated by deducting the expected IPV value an average NFL starter would generate through creativity, derived from his expected creativity rate and creativity EPA on each play, from IPV the QB generated on positive plays where his decision differed from the expected decision.
Execution is a QB's IPV value on non-throwaway pass attempts where his target does not deviate from the expected decision. This can be seen as a pure representation of a quarterback's ability to deliver the football isolated from his ability to read defenses and make decisions.
Rate Stats
A QB's expected misread rate minus his actual misread rate.
A QB's expected sack rate minus his actual sack rate.
A QB's expected non-misread negative rate minus his actual non-misread negative rate.
A QB's actual creativity rate minus his expected creativity rate.
A QB's actual pinpoint accuracy rate minus his expected pinpoint accuracy rate on plays in which his decision does not deviate from the expected decision.