The most comprehensive free resource for learning NFL analytics
To democratize NFL analytics education and make advanced football analysis accessible to everyone.
NFL Analytics Textbook was created to bridge the gap between academic sports analytics and practical football analysis. We believe that understanding the numbers behind the game shouldn't require expensive courses or insider connections.
Whether you're a fan wanting to understand the game better, a fantasy football enthusiast seeking an edge, an aspiring sports analyst building your portfolio, or a bettor looking for data-driven strategies - we've built this resource for you.
We explain the "why" behind every metric and model. Understanding concepts matters more than memorizing formulas.
Every concept includes working code examples. Learn by doing, not just reading. Copy, modify, experiment.
All content is free. No paywalls, no premium tiers. We believe quality education should be accessible to all.
Football analytics has transformed how the game is played, coached, and consumed. Since the public release of nflfastR in 2020, advanced metrics like EPA (Expected Points Added) have moved from NFL front offices to mainstream media coverage.
Today's football conversations include debates about fourth-down decision-making, passing efficiency, and win probability - concepts that would have been foreign to most fans a decade ago. This revolution is ongoing, and understanding analytics has become essential for anyone serious about the sport.
We're proud to be part of this movement, building on the incredible work of the nflverse community and making these concepts accessible to the next generation of football analysts.
This project wouldn't be possible without the incredible open-source community that has made NFL data accessible to everyone.
The foundation of modern NFL analytics. Ben Baldwin and Sebastian Carl's R package provides the data that powers our tutorials.
The complete NFL data ecosystem including rosters, schedules, draft data, and more. A community-driven project.
Cooper's Python package brings nflverse data to Python users, expanding accessibility to another programming community.
The countless analysts on Twitter, Discord, and elsewhere who share knowledge and push the field forward.
Begin your NFL analytics journey with Chapter 1 - no prior experience required.