pff

PFF, short for Pro Football Focus, is an American sports analytics company focused on football. It provides data-driven analysis of players, teams, and games in professional and college football, including play-by-play grades, matchup insights, and various statistical metrics. The organization is widely cited in media and used by some teams and broadcasting partners for commentary, scouting, and game preparation.

Origin and scope: Pro Football Focus was founded in 2008 by Neil Hornsby in the United Kingdom. It began as an independent outlet offering film-based analysis of NFL games and gradually expanded to cover college football as well as other football-related markets. Over time, PFF has developed a suite of products and services that include player grades, team reports, and advanced analytics that are distributed to subscribers, partners, and commentaries.

Methodology and products: PFF grades players on each played sequence after reviewing game film, producing per-game and seasonal evaluations. In addition to individual grades, the company offers positional group assessments, team-level analytics, and various proprietary or semi-proprietary metrics derived from its grading data. The data are used by media outlets, analysts, coaches, and front offices to inform commentary, scouting, and evaluation. PFF has also expanded into college football and other football-related analytics, with products and licensing for teams and broadcasters.

Reception and limitations: PFF is widely used in sports journalism and is part of the broader ecosystem of football analytics. Critics note that grading is subjective and depends on the interpretation of film, which can introduce biases and variability. The methodology is not always transparent to casual readers, and some metrics may not align with other data sources or traditional scouting judgments.

See also: Sports analytics, football statistics, player grading systems.