How Does The NFL Measure Hand Size?
Playing football requires having good hands. But does hand size matter? And if it does, how does the NFL measure hand size? To measure a player’s hand size requires starting at the tip of the thumb. With the hand outstretched measure to the pinky. So basically the measurement is the span between the two fingers farthest apart on the hand. Interestingly enough, the hand size of the average person is determined by length, breadth, and circumference. Obviously, the NFL doesn’t care about those dimensions. Their interest lies in the hand span of an elite athlete. Why?
Because they believe that the larger the hand size, the better to grip the football. Having a good grip is important for both quarterbacks and pass catchers. A larger size hand can facilitate holding onto the ball more easily. Particularly if the weather is unfavorable, such as rain, wind, and snow. Therefore, scouts and recruiters make hand size a priority.
According to ESPN Stats and Information, the 39 quarterbacks selected in the first round draft between 2008 and 2020 had an average hand size of 9.7 inches. Healthline.com states that the average male hand size is 7.6 inches. That’s a whopping two inch disparity! Obviously, all hands are not created equal lol.
Fun Fact: Former Saints QB Drew Brees and current Broncos QB Russell Wilson have 10.25 inch hands.But former Jets QB Mark Sanchez said wait a minute! His hands were measured at 10.5 inches in 2009.
On the flip side Bengals QB Joe Burrow has 9 inch hands. He joked on X (formerly Twitter), that he was “considering retirement after I was informed the football will be slipping out of my tiny hands.” That’s right a 9 inch hand is considered a tiny hand by NFL standards. Crazy, I know.
How Does The NFL Measure Hand Size
So what have we learned? Well if you are a person of average hand size the NFL is not likely to draft you. But let’s face it, it will take a lot more than just big hands to get into the NFL. However, since we are just fans of the game it doesn’t matter anyway. Besides it’s way more fun for me to watch and cheer during the games. Pretending that I could throw or catch the football like those players do. I just gotta hand it to them. 🙂
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