Effective field goal percentage

{{Short description|Statistic in basketball}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2016}}

In basketball, effective field goal percentage (abbreviated eFG%) is a statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points, while all other field goals only count for two points.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/about/glossary.html | title=Basketball Reference Glossary |publisher=Basketball-reference.com |accessdate=April 16, 2015}} Its goal is to show what field goal percentage a two-point shooter would have to shoot at to match the output of a player who also shoots three-pointers.{{cite web|url=https://www.coachingtoolbox.net/filingcabinet/effective-field-goal-percentage.html |title=Effective Field Goal Percentage |publisher=The Coaching Toolbox |accessdate=August 27, 2018}}

It is calculated by: $eFG\backslash \%\; =\; \backslash frac\{FG\; +\; (0.5\; *\; 3P)\}\{FGA\}$

where:

• FG = field goals made
• 3P = 3-point field goals made
• FGA = field goal attempts

{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/about/glossary.html | title=Basketball Reference Glossary |publisher=Basketball-reference.com |accessdate=April 16, 2015}} A common criticism of this formula is that shooters with very high percentage success rates, which favor 3 point shots, would arrive at an eFG% above 100%.{{cite web|url=https://captaincalculator.com/sports/basketball/effective-field-goal-percentage-calculator/ | title=Captain Calculator | publisher=Captain Calculator |accessdate=September 20, 2023}}

It can also be calculated by: $eFG\backslash \%\; =\; \backslash frac\{\backslash frac\{PPG\; -\; FT\}\{2\}\}\{FGA\}$

where:

• PPG = points per game
• FT = free throws made
• FGA = field goal attempts

The advantage of this second formula is that it highlights the aforementioned logic behind the statistic, where it is pretended that a player only shot two-point shots (hence the division of non-free-throw points by 2).

An additional formula that seems to be more in use by the statistics actually displayed on websites (but less cited by said websites) is:

$eFG\backslash \%\; =\; \backslash frac\{2FG\; +\; (1.5\; *\; 3FG)\}\{FGA\}$

where:

• 2FG = 2-point field goals made
• 3FG = 3-point field goals made
• FGA = field goal attempts

{{cite web|url=https://www.coachingtoolbox.net/filingcabinet/effective-field-goal-percentage.html |title=Effective Field Goal Percentage |publisher=The Coaching Toolbox |accessdate=August 27, 2018}}

All three equations yield the same result.