How the game works
Each round shows two players and a statistic such as career passing yards, rushing touchdowns, receptions or sacks. Tap the player you think has the larger total. A correct answer moves you up a rung; a wrong answer or a timeout costs one of your three lives.
The ladder has five tiers. As you climb, the timer gets shorter and the game only offers the closest matchups in its data set.
| Tier | Rungs | Time | Matchups drawn from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandlot | 1–3 | 14s | Any matchup |
| Varsity | 4–6 | 11s | Closest 55% of pairs |
| Pro Bowl | 7–9 | 9s | Closest 35% of pairs |
| All-Pro | 10–13 | 7s | Closest 22% of pairs |
| Hall of Fame | 14+ | 6s | Closest 12% of pairs |
Guides to help you climb
We publish original write-ups that use the same data as the game. They explain how rounds are built, which matchups are traps, and how to read a career total.
How Pigskin Ladder picks its matchups
How each round is built, with tables showing the closest gap you can face at every tier.
The closest matchups on the ladder
The five tightest pairs in all ten categories, with exact totals and gaps.
Pigskin Ladder strategy: how to get past the Pro Bowl tier
Category leaders, timer habits and the traps that end most runs.
Reading NFL career totals: longevity vs. efficiency
Why raw totals mislead, and a quick ratio for comparing quarterbacks.
Jerry Rice and the receiving record: the safest pick on the ladder
Rice leads every receiving category by a wide margin. The rest of the list is where the questions get hard.
Sacks: the official era and the tightest category in the game
All 11 pass rushers ranked, with the gaps between them and why half a sack decides rounds.
Browse the numbers
The full data set is public: 16 quarterbacks, 15 running backs, 13 receivers and tight ends and 11 pass rushers. Each table includes derived columns such as touchdowns per interception and yards per touchdown.
About the statistics
All figures are regular-season career totals for 55 players across four groups. See the stats tables for sources, a corrections log, and how to report a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free? Yes. No account is needed and your best score stays in your browser.
Are playoff stats included? No, only regular-season totals.
Why do I sometimes see the same matchup twice? At higher tiers only the closest pairs are allowed, so the pool is small. See how matchups are picked.
What happens if the timer runs out? It counts as a wrong answer and costs one life.
Can two players have the same total? They can, but the game never pairs players with identical totals.
Is this affiliated with the NFL? No. It is an independent fan project.