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Field Goal Percentage Calculator And Basketball FG% Guide

By The Calcumatix Team Reviewed by Calcumatix Editorial Review 3 min read

Quick Answer

Field goal percentage is calculated as field goals made divided by field goals attempted, then multiplied by 100. Use FGM as the numerator and FGA as the denominator, so 9 makes on 18 attempts is 50 percent. For team stats, use total makes and total attempts, and note that free throws are counted separately, not as field goals.

Field goal percentage looks like a simple basketball number, but it can be misread when fans mix shot groups or average percentages. The stat belongs to field goals, not free throws, and it should use made shots over attempts from the same sample. This guide explains the calculator inputs, the formula, and the difference between overall FG% and other shooting stats.

What Is Field Goal Percentage In Basketball?

Field goal percentage is the rate at which a player or team makes field goal attempts. It does not measure points per shot, difficulty, or shot value. It only asks how many counted field goal attempts went in.

A field goal attempt can come from anywhere on the court during live play. FIBA scoring guidance explains that a field goal made also counts as a field goal attempt. That rule keeps the fraction consistent because made shots are part of the attempt total.

How Do You Calculate Field Goal Percentage?

You calculate field goal percentage by dividing field goals made by field goals attempted, then multiplying by 100. Use the same time span for both numbers, such as one game, one season, one drill, or one team’s box score.

Worked example: a team makes 38 field goals on 82 attempts.

  • Formula with values: field goal percentage = 38 ÷ 82 × 100.
  • Step 1: 38 ÷ 82 = 0.4634146341.
  • Step 2: 0.4634146341 × 100 = 46.34146341.
  • Result: field goal percentage = 46.3%, rounded to one decimal place.

What Should You Enter In The Calculator?

Enter made field goals as the first input and attempted field goals as the second input. Do not enter points scored, free throws made, or three point points, because those are different basketball stats.

For a player box score of 6-14, enter 6 as field goals made and 14 as field goals attempted. For a team line of 41-90, enter 41 and 90. The formula works the same at player and team level.

What Is The Difference Between FG% And 3P%?

FG% can include all field goals, while 3P% uses only three point shots. A three point percentage line uses three pointers made divided by three point attempts.

Example: a player shoots 9 for 18 overall and 4 for 9 from three. Overall FG% = 9 ÷ 18 × 100 = 50.0%. Three point percentage = 4 ÷ 9 × 100 = 44.4%, rounded to one decimal place.

What Mistakes Change The Final Percentage?

The most common mistake is averaging several FG percentages instead of using total makes and total attempts. Percentages with different attempt counts need a weighted calculation through the totals.

For example, Game 1 is 2 ÷ 4 × 100 = 50%, and Game 2 is 9 ÷ 20 × 100 = 45%. The correct combined FG% is (2 + 9) ÷ (4 + 20) × 100 = 11 ÷ 24 × 100 = 45.8%, rounded to one decimal place. The simple average, (50 + 45) ÷ 2 = 47.5%, is not the same because the games had different shot totals. Use the Shooting Percentage Calculator with real totals, not averaged percentages.

How Is FG% Different From Effective FG%?

Standard field goal percentage treats every made shot as one make, while effective field goal percentage, written eFG%, gives extra credit for made three pointers because they score more points per attempt. FG% measures shot success rate, while eFG% measures scoring value from field goal attempts.

Example: 5 makes on 10 attempts gives standard FG% = 5 ÷ 10 × 100 = 50%. If all 5 makes are three pointers, eFG% is higher than 50% because the shots produced more points per attempt than two point makes would. Use the Shooting Percentage Calculator for standard FG%, not eFG%.

Sources And Notes For Field Goal Percentage

Frequently asked questions

Is field goal percentage the same as FG%?

Field goal percentage and FG% mean the same basketball stat. Both describe field goals made divided by field goal attempts.

Are three pointers included in field goal percentage?

Three pointers are included in overall field goal percentage when they are part of the field goal attempt total. They also have a separate 3P% line.

Why is effective field goal percentage different?

Effective field goal percentage is different because it gives added weight to made threes. Standard field goal percentage counts made twos and made threes as made field goals only.

Should team FG% be averaged from player FG%?

Team FG% should not be averaged from player percentages. Add team makes and team attempts, then divide total makes by total attempts.

What does FG stand for, and do free throws count?

FG stands for field goal, a made basket from live play that includes both two point and three point shots. Free throws do not count in field goal percentage. They have their own made and attempted totals, usually shown as FTM, FTA, and FT%.