Effective Field Goal Calculator: Formula and Examples

An effective field goal calculator works out effective field goal percentage (eFG%), a basketball shooting statistic that adjusts field-goal percentage to account for three-pointers being worth more than two-pointers. Enter field goals made and three-pointers made, and it returns eFG% as a percentage; you can also use the formula below to calculate it by hand.

Formula

The standard formula is:

eFG% = 100 × (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM) ÷ FGA

• FGM is total field goals made, including both two-point and three-point baskets, measured in shots.
• 3PM is three-point field goals made, measured in shots.
• FGA is total field-goal attempts, including two-point and three-point attempts, measured in shots.
• eFG% is effective field-goal percentage, shown here as a percentage.

The calculator also displays ordinary field-goal percentage for comparison: FG% = 100 × FGM ÷ FGA. Inputs must be whole-number shot counts in realistic data, and three-pointers made cannot exceed total field goals made. Field goals made also cannot exceed attempts. The calculator’s simple input limits do not enforce those relationships, so check them before interpreting the result. Attempts must be greater than zero; with zero attempts, the percentage is undefined.

Worked Example

Using the calculator’s default inputs—10 field goals made, 3 three-pointers made, and 20 field-goal attempts:

1. Calculate the three-point bonus: 0.5 × 3 = 1.5.
2. Add the bonus to field goals made: 10 + 1.5 = 11.5.
3. Divide by attempts: 11.5 ÷ 20 = 0.575.
4. Convert to a percentage: 0.575 × 100 = 57.5% eFG.

For the comparison output, FG% = 100 × 10 ÷ 20 = 50.0%. The effective percentage is higher because it gives extra value to made three-pointers. Results are rounded to one decimal place.

Why Effective Field Goal Percentage Exists

Ordinary field-goal percentage counts every made field goal equally. A made two-pointer and a made three-pointer each add one to the numerator, even though one scores two points and the other scores three. That makes FG% incomplete when comparing shooting that includes different proportions of three-point attempts.

eFG% adjusts for that scoring difference by treating each made three-pointer as 1.5 field goals in its numerator. The extra 0.5 represents the additional point a three-pointer earns compared with a two-pointer. It is a compact way to compare the value of shooting from the field without needing to list every two-point and three-point attempt separately.

Despite its name, eFG% is not a player’s literal chance of making a shot, nor is it the share of points produced by field goals. It is a percentage-based shooting-efficiency measure. A value can be higher than a player’s ordinary FG%, but it cannot exceed 100% when the inputs are valid: each attempt can contribute at most one made shot, with the three-point adjustment incorporated into the formula.

When to Use the Calculator

Use eFG% when you want to compare field-goal shooting across players, teams, or games where three-point volume differs. For example, a shooter making a larger portion of shots from three-point range may have a lower FG% but a higher eFG%, because each made three earns an additional point.

It can be calculated for a single game, a season, or another defined sample, provided the made shots and attempts refer to the same sample. For a team total, add the relevant made-shot and attempt counts first, then calculate the percentage. Do not take a simple average of individual players’ eFG% values to get a team figure: players have different numbers of attempts. Combining the underlying counts correctly weights each attempt.

To compare results fairly, use the same scope and data conventions. A single game and a full season are not equally stable samples, and a player’s role or shot mix may differ across them. eFG% describes observed field-goal efficiency in the selected data; by itself it does not explain why a player shoots well or predict future performance.

Reading Results and Common Mistakes

• Enter made threes as part of total field goals made. Three-pointers are already included in FGM; do not add them to FGM a second time.
• Use all field-goal attempts in the denominator. Include both two-point and three-point attempts. Free throws are not field-goal attempts and do not belong in this calculation.
• Keep the counts from one sample together. Pairing season makes with game attempts, for example, produces a meaningless percentage.
• Do not confuse 3PM with 3PA. The formula uses three-pointers made, not three-point attempts. Three-point attempts are useful for other statistics but are not an input here.
• Read the output as a percentage. The calculator multiplies the ratio by 100, so 57.5% corresponds to a ratio of 0.575.

Rounding can cause small differences between a published figure and a result calculated from rounded or incomplete counts. Calculate from whole-number totals when available, and round only the final percentage. If a source gives a percentage but not its underlying shot counts, the exact result may not be recoverable.

What eFG% Does Not Measure

eFG% includes field goals only. It does not account for free throws, turnovers, offensive rebounds, or the number of possessions used. For that reason, it is not the same as true shooting percentage, which includes free-throw scoring in its calculation, or points per possession, which considers possessions. Those measures address broader questions about scoring efficiency, while eFG% focuses specifically on the value of made field goals.

It also does not distinguish shot difficulty, defensive pressure, or whether a basket was assisted. Two players with the same eFG% may reach that figure through very different shot selection and circumstances. Use the statistic as one piece of context rather than a complete evaluation of an offense or player.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate effective field goal percentage?
Multiply three-pointers made by 0.5, add that to total field goals made, divide by total field-goal attempts, and multiply by 100.

Why is there a 0.5 in the eFG% formula?
A three-pointer scores one point more than a two-pointer. The 0.5 adjustment gives a made three an extra half-credit in the numerator while retaining field-goal attempts as the denominator.

Can effective field goal percentage be higher than 100%?
Not with valid shot counts. A result above 100% usually means the inputs are inconsistent, such as too many made shots for the number of attempts or an incorrect three-pointer count.

Does eFG% include free throws?
No. It uses field goals made and field-goal attempts only. Free throws are included in other measures, such as true shooting percentage, not in the standard eFG% formula.

Is eFG% the same as shooting percentage?
No. Ordinary FG% treats every made field goal equally, while eFG% adjusts for the extra point scored on a three-pointer. They are related but answer different questions.

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in fg | Field goals made | shots | 10 | 0
in tp | Three-pointers made | shots | 3 | 0
in fa | Field-goal attempts | shots | 20 | 0
out efg | Effective field goal percentage | % | 100 * (fg + 0.5 * tp) / fa | 1
out fg_pct | Field-goal percentage | % | 100 * fg / fa | 1