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What is Effective Field Goal % (eFG%) Calculator?
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Imagine you are playing a friendly game of pickup basketball at the local park. You take 10 shots close to the hoop and make 5 of them. Your buddy takes 10 shots from way beyond the three-point line and makes 4. If you look at traditional shooting percentages, you won the day with a 50% shooting rate compared to their 40%. But wait a minute! You scored 10 points, while your friend walked away with 12 points. Traditional stats are lying to you because they treat a tough, deep three-pointer the exact same as an easy layup. That is where the Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%) steps in to save the day. This clever metric acts like a currency exchange rate for basketball. It gives players who stretch the floor the extra 50% credit they deserve for taking a shot that is worth 50% more points. By adjusting the math to reflect the actual scoreboard, we get a crystal-clear picture of how efficient a shooter really is. It bridges the gap between how many shots go through the net and how many points are actually piling up. Why does this matter in your daily life? If you are managing your kid's middle school team, building a killer fantasy basketball roster, or just trying to win a friendly debate on the couch during the NBA Finals, eFG% is your secret weapon. It cuts through the noise of basic box scores and helps you see who is genuinely driving offensive value—and who is just hogging the ball with low-reward shots.
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Формула
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eFG% = (FG + 0.5 × 3P) / FGA
Where:
FG = Total field goals made (this includes both two-pointers and three-pointers)
3P = Three-pointers made
FGA = Total field goal attempts
0.5 = The bonus weight given to three-pointers to reflect their extra value (since 3 points is 50% more than 2 points)Variable Legend
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| Symbol | Ime | Единица | Опис |
|---|---|---|---|
| FG | Field Goals Made | makes | Total field goals made, including both two-point and three-point baskets |
| 3P | Three-Pointers Made | makes | Three-point field goals made; given a 0.5 bonus weight in eFG% because they are worth 50% more than a two-pointer |
| FGA | Field Goal Attempts | attempts | Total field goal attempts; the denominator of the eFG% calculation |
| eFG% | Effective Field Goal Percentage | % | Shooting percentage adjusted so that three-point makes are weighted proportionally to their extra scoring value, enabling fair cross-player comparisons |
How to Effective Field Goal % (eFG%) Calculator
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- 1Gather the basic stats: Grab the total number of field goals made (which includes both two-pointers and three-pointers), the number of three-pointers made, and the total number of shots attempted.
- 2Give those three-pointers some extra love: Multiply the number of made three-pointers by 0.5. This calculates the 'bonus' credit for those long-distance shots.
- 3Combine your scores: Add that bonus number to the total number of made shots. This gives you your adjusted, 'effective' makes.
- 4Do the final division: Divide your effective makes by the total number of shots attempted.
- 5Turn it into a percentage: Multiply the decimal by 100 to get your final eFG%. Now you can compare players fairly, no matter where they prefer to shoot from!
Worked Examples
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Sarah took 12 shots, making 6 of them, but because 4 of those makes were three-pointers, she actually generated 16 points. Her outstanding eFG% of 66.7% shows how her deep-range shooting makes her far more dangerous than a traditional stat sheet would suggest.
Mike is a traditional powerhouse who gets all his points right under the rim. Because he didn't shoot any three-pointers, his eFG% matches his regular shooting percentage exactly. At 66.7%, he is incredibly efficient, proving you don't need to shoot threes to be highly effective.
Marcus loves the classic, contested mid-range jumper. Even though he made 5 shots (including one three), his low eFG% of 45.8% highlights why modern coaches try to steer players away from long two-pointers. He's working hard for very little relative return.
Elena mixes up her game beautifully with drives to the basket and spot-up threes. Her traditional shooting percentage looks average at 46.7%, but her eFG% jumps to a fantastic 56.7% once we account for those three crucial long-range makes.
Real-World Applications
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Winning Your Fantasy Basketball League: Smart fantasy managers use eFG% to spot undervalued players who might have low traditional shooting percentages but are actually highly efficient scorers due to their high three-point volume.
Coaching Youth and Rec League Teams: Coaches use this simple metric to teach young players about shot selection, showing them visual proof of why a corner three-pointer is a much better team shot than a mid-range jumper.
Settle Couch-Side Sports Debates: Next time your friend claims a player is 'having a terrible shooting night' based on raw box scores, pull out the eFG% to show how their three-pointers actually kept the team's offense highly efficient.
Tracking Your Own Fitness and Game Progress: If you play pickup basketball or local league games, tracking your own eFG% over a season is a fun and highly motivating way to see if your offensive decision-making is improving.
Special Cases
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The Pure Inside Center (Zero Three-Pointers)
There is no math error here; it simply means the player is not receiving any long-range bonuses. When comparing a paint-only center to a guard, remember that the center's high eFG% comes from high-percentage layups rather than the three-point bonus.
The Super-Small Sample Size (The One-Shot Wonder)
While mathematically correct under the formula, an eFG% over 100% is a temporary quirk of small sample sizes. Always ensure a player has a reasonable number of attempts before using this metric to make long-term scouting or coaching decisions.
The Desperation Buzzer Heave
While these heaves are smart plays because they offer a free chance at points, they can artificially lower a player's efficiency metrics. Analytical coaches often strip out these 'heaves' manually when evaluating true player performance.
eFG% Season Benchmarks — NBA Context
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| eFG% Range | Category | Example Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| .650+ | All-Time Legendary | S. Curry 2015-16 (.630) | Mind-blowing efficiency, usually combining elite deep shooting with smart shot selection. |
| .600–.649 | Elite Sniper | K. Thompson career peak | Outstanding shooting that stretches defenses to their absolute limits. |
| .575–.599 | Very Good | Typical All-Star | Way ahead of the curve; a highly efficient offensive engine. |
| .545–.574 | Above Average | Solid Starter | A positive contributor who makes smart choices with the ball. |
| .520–.544 | League Average | Typical Rotation Player | The baseline for modern professional basketball efficiency. |
| .480–.519 | Below Average | Struggling Spot-up | A bit of a drag on team offense; needs better shot selection. |
| Below .480 | Cold Streak | Mid-range Heavy Iso | Incredibly tough way to score; generates low value per shot attempt. |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is a 50% eFG% considered good in basketball?
Generally, yes! In the modern NBA, a 50% eFG% is a solid baseline, but the average has actually climbed closer to 54% due to the rise of smart three-point shooting. For recreational players, hitting 50% means you are playing highly efficient basketball. If you can push your personal stats above 55%, you are officially a major asset to your team's offense.
Why does eFG% exist if we already have True Shooting Percentage (TS%)?
Think of eFG% as the specialist and TS% as the all-rounder. eFG% focuses strictly on what happens when a player shoots during live play, ignoring free throws entirely. True Shooting Percentage, on the other hand, includes free throws to measure overall scoring efficiency. Both are useful, but eFG% is much better for analyzing pure shot-taking and floor spacing.
Does this metric make traditional big men look worse?
Not at all! In fact, elite dunking and layup-focused centers often have some of the highest eFG% ratings in history because they shoot such a high percentage close to the basket. A player who shoots 70% on dunks will have a 70% eFG%, which is incredibly difficult for a three-point shooter to match. The metric simply levels the playing field so we can compare different styles fairly.
Can a player's eFG% ever be higher than 100%?
Yes, it actually can in small sample sizes! If you take a single shot in a game, make it as a three-pointer, your eFG% for that game is 150% because of the 1.5x multiplier. Over a full season, however, no player will maintain an eFG% over 100% as the laws of averages catch up with them.
How does eFG% help me improve my own pickup game?
It changes your mindset about which shots are worth taking. By tracking your shots, you will quickly realize that taking contested mid-range jumpers is dragging your efficiency down. You will start hunting for open layups or stepping back for clean three-pointers, which naturally makes you a much tougher player to guard.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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- !Ignoring the Free Throw Factor: eFG% is fantastic for measuring live-ball shots, but it completely ignores free throws. A player who gets fouled constantly and scores at the free-throw line (like prime James Harden) might have a mediocre eFG% but still be a highly efficient overall scorer.
- !Double-Counting Three-Pointers: A common math slip is adding the three-pointers to the total field goals made, and then adding them again in the bonus section. Remember, three-pointers are already included in your total field goals made (FG); the formula just adds an extra 0.5 weight to them.
- !Era-to-Era Comparisons Without Context: Comparing a player from 1995 to a player from 2025 using eFG% can be highly misleading. The game was played differently, and the sheer volume of three-pointers taken today naturally inflates modern eFG% scores compared to historical eras.
Pro Tip
If you want to quickly boost your own efficiency in pickup games, try swapping out those long, contested two-pointers (just inside the three-point line) for either a drive all the way to the rim or a step back behind the arc. Mathematically, the long two-pointer is the worst shot in basketball because it carries all the difficulty of a three-pointer with none of the bonus value!
Did you know?
Did you know that shooting just 33.3% from the three-point line yields the exact same effective efficiency as shooting 50% from two-point range? Because three-pointers are worth 1.5 times as much, you can miss far more often and still generate the exact same amount of points for your team!
References
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