Two players can shoot the exact same field goal percentage and still have wildly different actual value to their team, simply because one of them is doing it from three-point range. Traditional field goal percentage treats every made shot the same, which quietly hides which players are actually generating more points per shot attempt.

The **eFG calculator** corrects for this by giving three-pointers their proper extra weight, producing a single number that reflects real shooting efficiency rather than raw make-versus-miss counting. This article covers exactly how the formula works, why it was invented, and where fans and coaches most often misread what it's actually telling them.

What Is an eFG Calculator and Why Does It Matter

An **eFG calculator** finds a player or team's effective field goal percentage, adjusting standard shooting percentage to account for the extra point a made three-pointer is worth compared to a two-pointer. Players and coaches use it to evaluate real shooting efficiency, and analysts use it as one of basketball's foundational "Four Factors" for predicting team success. The core method: made field goals, plus half a bonus point for every made three, divided by total attempts. Getting it wrong, treating eFG% the same as plain field goal percentage, means undervaluing a player whose efficiency comes disproportionately from three-point shooting.

What You Need Before You Start

Have this information ready before you enter anything into the calculator.

- The player or team's total field goals made, including both two-pointers and three-pointers.

- The total three-pointers made specifically, since these need to be counted separately for the formula's bonus adjustment.

- The total field goal attempts, including both two-point and three-point attempts.

- Whether you're calculating for a single game, a season, or a specific stretch of games.

- Whether you also want true shooting percentage, a related but distinct metric that additionally factors in free throws.

- Whether you're comparing against league-average benchmarks, since a "good" eFG% differs somewhat between different eras and levels of play.

How to Use This eFG Calculator Step by Step

Follow these steps to get an accurate effective field goal percentage.

1. Enter the total field goals made, both twos and threes combined.

2. Enter the three-pointers made specifically, as a subset of that total.

3. Enter the total field goal attempts.

4. Click Calculate to see the effective field goal percentage, along with a comparison to plain field goal percentage.

5. Click Show Steps to see exactly how the three-point bonus was added before dividing by attempts.

6. Compare the result to common benchmarks, such as the roughly 52 to 54 percent typical NBA league average.

7. Calculate true shooting percentage separately if you also want free throws factored into the overall efficiency picture.

The eFG Calculator Formula Explained Simply

Standard field goal percentage counts every made shot identically, whether it's worth two points or three, which understates the value of a player who shoots a lot of threes. Effective field goal percentage fixes this by adding half an extra made shot's worth of credit for every three-pointer made, since a three-pointer is worth exactly 1.5 times as much as a two-pointer.

eFG% = (FGM + 0.5 times 3PM) / FGA

- FGM: total field goals made, combining both two-point and three-point makes.

- 3PM: three-point field goals made specifically, a subset of total field goals made.

- FGA: total field goal attempts, combining both two-point and three-point attempts.

- 0.5: the bonus multiplier applied to three-pointers made, reflecting the extra half-point of value a three is worth relative to a two.

The formula works because a made three-pointer generates 1.5 times the points of a made two-pointer from the identical single attempt, so adding half a make's worth of extra credit for each three properly reflects that additional scoring value within a single, easy-to-compare percentage. This is the widely accepted formula introduced by basketball analyst Dean Oliver in his book "Basketball on Paper," and it remains one of Oliver's foundational "Four Factors" used throughout modern basketball analytics, including by outlets like Basketball-Reference.

eFG Calculator Worked Examples

Example1:Beginner Case - Two Players With Identical Field Goal Percentage but Different Value

A coach is comparing two players who both went 5-for-10 from the field in the same game, but Player A made all five shots as two-pointers, while Player B made three two-pointers and two three-pointers.

1. Calculate Player A's eFG%: FGM equals 5, 3PM equals 0, FGA equals 10, so eFG% equals (5 plus 0.5 times 0) divided by 10, which equals 5 divided by 10, or 0.500.

2. Calculate Player B's eFG%: FGM equals 5, 3PM equals 2, FGA equals 10, so eFG% equals (5 plus 0.5 times 2) divided by 10, which equals (5 plus 1) divided by 10, or 6 divided by 10, equaling 0.600.

3. Compare both players' plain field goal percentage, which is identical at 50 percent for both.

4. Compare both players' eFG%, which shows Player B at 60 percent, a full 10 percentage points higher than Player A.

Despite having the exact same raw shooting percentage, Player B actually generated more real scoring value per shot attempt because two of those makes were worth an extra point each, and eFG% is specifically designed to surface this difference that plain field goal percentage completely hides.

Example2:Advanced Case - Using Team eFG% as Part of the Four Factors Analysis

A team analyst is comparing a team's offensive eFG% against their opponent's defensive eFG% allowed across a full season, using 3,200 team field goal attempts, 1,600 made field goals, and 450 made three-pointers.

1. Identify the values: FGM equals 1,600, 3PM equals 450, FGA equals 3,200.

2. Apply the formula: eFG% equals (1,600 plus 0.5 times 450) divided by 3,200.

3. Calculate the three-point bonus: 0.5 times 450 equals 225.

4. Calculate: (1,600 plus 225) divided by 3,200, which is 1,825 divided by 3,200, equaling approximately 0.570, or 57.0 percent.

This team's 57.0 percent eFG% sits well above the typical 52 to 54 percent league-average range, suggesting a genuinely efficient offense driven significantly by three-point volume, and the analyst can use this figure as one of Dean Oliver's Four Factors alongside turnover rate, rebounding rate, and free throw rate to build a fuller picture of what's driving this team's overall offensive success.

Example3:Edge Case - A Player Who Takes No Three-Pointers at All

An analyst calculates the eFG% for a center who made 320 field goals on 450 attempts across a season, entirely from two-point range near the basket, with zero three-point attempts.

1. Identify the values: FGM equals 320, 3PM equals 0, FGA equals 450.

2. Apply the formula: eFG% equals (320 plus 0.5 times 0) divided by 450.

3. Recognize that the three-point bonus term becomes zero, since there are no made threes to add credit for.

4. Calculate: 320 divided by 450 equals approximately 0.711, or 71.1 percent.

This confirms that for a player who takes no three-pointers at all, eFG% and plain field goal percentage come out identical, since the entire adjustment the formula makes is specifically tied to three-point makes; a real NBA example of this pattern is DeAndre Jordan, whose regular season eFG% record of 71.4 percent came almost entirely from close-range shooting with virtually no three-point attempts.

Example4:Regional Variant - Comparing eFG% to the Related True Shooting Percentage Metric

An analyst wants to evaluate the same player from the beginner example, Player B, who went 5-for-10 with 2 threes, but this time also made 4 of 5 free throw attempts, and wants to see how true shooting percentage, a related but distinct metric, changes the picture.

1. Recall Player B's eFG% from the beginner example: 60.0 percent, based only on field goal makes and attempts.

2. Calculate total points scored: 3 two-pointers times 2 points, plus 2 three-pointers times 3 points, plus 4 free throws times 1 point, which is 6 plus 6 plus 4, equaling 16 points.

3. Calculate true shooting attempts, which factor in free throw attempts using the standard formula: TSA equals FGA plus 0.44 times FTA, which is 10 plus 0.44 times 5, equaling 10 plus 2.2, or 12.2.

4. Calculate true shooting percentage: TS% equals points divided by (2 times TSA), which is 16 divided by (2 times 12.2), or 16 divided by 24.4, equaling approximately 0.656, or 65.6 percent.

This shows that true shooting percentage, unlike eFG%, also captures the extra scoring value of free throws, and a player with a strong free throw contribution, like Player B in this extended example, will show an even higher efficiency figure under true shooting percentage than under eFG% alone, which is why analysts often look at both metrics together rather than treating them as interchangeable.

eFG Calculator Results What the Numbers Mean

A typical NBA league-average eFG% sits around 52 to 54 percent in the modern game, meaning a result meaningfully above that range represents genuinely efficient shooting, while a result well below it suggests below-average shot selection or shooting performance. A result above 55 percent is generally considered excellent, and results above 60 percent are typically reserved for elite, high-efficiency shooters or players who score primarily on high-percentage shots close to the basket.

A high eFG% doesn't automatically mean a player is a great overall shooter in every sense, since, as the edge case shows, a player who takes zero three-pointers can still post a very high eFG% purely through efficient close-range scoring, which is a genuinely different skill than being an efficient three-point shooter specifically. Comparing eFG% alongside shot distribution, how many attempts came from three-point range versus close range, gives a much fuller picture than the single percentage alone.

The most common misunderstanding is treating eFG% and true shooting percentage as the same thing, or assuming a player's plain field goal percentage already captures everything eFG% measures. As the regional variant example shows, true shooting percentage can diverge meaningfully from eFG% once free throws are factored in, and neither one on its own is the complete picture without the other.

How Your Inputs Change the Result

The number of three-pointers made, relative to total field goals made, has the single biggest effect on how much eFG% diverges from plain field goal percentage. A player who makes zero threes will always see eFG% and field goal percentage come out identical, while a player who makes a high proportion of threes relative to their total makes will see eFG% climb meaningfully above their plain shooting percentage.

Total field goal attempts changes how much a fixed number of three-point makes moves the overall percentage. The same 10 three-point makes added to a player with only 20 total attempts will shift eFG% far more dramatically than the identical 10 three-point makes added to a player with 100 total attempts, since the bonus credit is a smaller fraction of a larger attempt total.

Whether free throws are factored in at all determines whether eFG% or true shooting percentage is the more complete efficiency measure for a specific player. As the regional variant example shows, a player who draws fouls and shoots free throws well will show a noticeably larger gap between their eFG% and their true shooting percentage than a player who rarely gets to the free throw line.

Three-Point Share of Made Shots | Effect on eFG% vs Plain FG% | Example

0 percent (all twos) | No difference at all | eFG% equals FG% exactly

20 percent of makes from three | Small but real increase | Roughly 2 to 4 percentage points higher

50 percent of makes from three | Large increase | Roughly 10 percentage points higher, as in the beginner example

eFG Calculator Common Mistakes to Avoid

- Treating eFG% and plain field goal percentage as the same statistic, when eFG% specifically adjusts for three-point value while plain FG% doesn't.

- Confusing eFG% with true shooting percentage, forgetting that true shooting percentage additionally factors in free throw attempts and makes.

- Entering total three-point attempts instead of three-point makes into the 3PM term, which produces a badly wrong result, since the formula specifically requires makes, not attempts.

- Assuming a high eFG% always reflects strong three-point shooting specifically, when a player can reach a high eFG% entirely through efficient close-range two-point shooting instead.

- Comparing a modern player's eFG% directly against an older era's average without accounting for how league-wide three-point attempt rates and averages have shifted significantly over time.

- Using eFG% alone to evaluate overall offensive value without considering shot volume, since a very high eFG% on very few attempts doesn't carry the same team impact as a strong eFG% on a heavy shot diet.

- Forgetting that eFG% doesn't account for turnovers, offensive rebounding, or free throw rate, the other three of Dean Oliver's Four Factors, all of which also affect real offensive efficiency.

- Applying eFG% at the team level without recognizing it works identically to the individual formula, simply substituting team-wide totals for player totals.

Key Terms Explained

Field goal made (FGM)

A field goal made is any successful basket from the floor, whether a two-pointer or three-pointer, not including free throws.

Three-point field goal made (3PM)

A three-point field goal made is a successful shot taken from beyond the three-point line, worth three points instead of the standard two.

Field goal attempt (FGA)

A field goal attempt is any shot taken from the floor, whether it results in a make or a miss, not including free throw attempts.

True shooting percentage (TS%)

True shooting percentage is a related efficiency metric that factors in free throws in addition to field goals, giving a more complete measure of total scoring efficiency.

Four Factors

The Four Factors are Dean Oliver's four key statistical categories, shooting efficiency, turnovers, rebounding, and free throw rate, used together to explain team offensive and defensive success.

Shot distribution

Shot distribution describes the mix of two-point versus three-point attempts a player or team takes, an important context for interpreting an eFG% result.

League average

League average refers to the typical eFG% across an entire league in a given season, used as a benchmark for evaluating whether a specific result is above or below typical performance.

Points per shot

Points per shot is a related concept describing the average points generated per field goal attempt, closely tied to the underlying logic behind the eFG% formula.

How This Calculator Works Methodology

This calculator applies the standard effective field goal percentage formula, eFG% equals (FGM plus 0.5 times 3PM) divided by FGA, introduced by basketball analyst Dean Oliver in "Basketball on Paper" and used as the official eFG% definition by Basketball-Reference and throughout modern basketball analytics. This calculator can also compute true shooting percentage separately, using TS% equals points divided by (2 times true shooting attempts), where true shooting attempts equals field goal attempts plus 0.44 times free throw attempts, for users wanting a fuller efficiency picture including free throws. Results are typically expressed as a percentage rounded to one decimal place. This calculator does not include shot location or shot clock context, which some more advanced efficiency metrics incorporate beyond the standard eFG% definition.

Frequently Asked Questions About eFG Calculator

1. How do you calculate effective field goal percentage?

Add total field goals made to half of the three-point field goals made, then divide by total field goal attempts: eFG% equals (FGM plus 0.5 times 3PM) divided by FGA. For example, 5 field goals made with 2 threes on 10 attempts equals 60 percent.

2. How accurate is an eFG calculator?

It's exact, since eFG% is a straightforward formula that produces one correct answer once field goals made, three-pointers made, and attempts are entered correctly. It's a precisely defined statistic, not an estimate.

3. What is the difference between eFG% and regular field goal percentage?

Regular field goal percentage treats every made shot identically, regardless of point value. Effective field goal percentage adds extra credit for three-point makes specifically, reflecting the fact that a three-pointer is worth 1.5 times as much as a two-pointer from a single attempt.

4. What is the difference between eFG% and true shooting percentage?

Effective field goal percentage only accounts for field goal attempts and the extra value of threes. True shooting percentage goes further, also factoring in free throw attempts and makes, giving a more complete picture of a player's total scoring efficiency.

5. What is considered a good eFG%?

A league-average eFG% in the modern NBA typically falls around 52 to 54 percent. A result above 55 percent is generally considered strong, and results above 60 percent are typically reserved for elite, highly efficient shooters or players scoring primarily from close range.

6. Can a player have a high eFG% without shooting many three-pointers?

Yes. A player who shoots primarily close-range, high-percentage two-point shots, like a center finishing near the basket, can post a very high eFG% with zero three-point attempts at all, since the formula simply reduces to plain field goal percentage in that specific case.

7. What is a typical eFG% calculation people check with this tool?

Coaches and analysts most often check a player's or team's shooting efficiency across a game or season to evaluate shot selection quality. Fantasy basketball and analytics enthusiasts also commonly use it to compare players with very different shooting styles on a fairer footing than plain field goal percentage allows.

8. Should I look at eFG% alone or alongside other statistics?

Look at it alongside other measures, especially true shooting percentage for a fuller efficiency picture that includes free throws, and shot volume and distribution to understand where a player's efficiency is actually coming from. eFG% is one of Dean Oliver's Four Factors, not a complete offensive evaluation on its own.

Related Calculators Worth Bookmarking

- True Shooting Percentage Calculator: use this for a more complete efficiency metric that also factors in free throw attempts and makes.

- Field Goal Percentage Calculator: helpful for the simpler, unadjusted shooting percentage that eFG% is specifically designed to improve upon.

- Player Efficiency Rating Calculator: relevant for a broader, all-in-one statistic combining shooting efficiency with rebounding, assists, and other contributions.

- Usage Rate Calculator: pairs with eFG% to understand how much offensive load a player carries alongside their shooting efficiency.

- Turnover Percentage Calculator: useful as one of Dean Oliver's other Four Factors, complementing eFG% for a fuller offensive analysis.

- Free Throw Rate Calculator: relevant for evaluating how often a player or team gets to the free throw line relative to field goal attempts.

- Points Per Possession Calculator: useful for a broader efficiency metric that accounts for turnovers and rebounds alongside shooting.

- Three-Point Attempt Rate Calculator: relevant for understanding how much of a player or team's shot diet comes from beyond the arc.

References and Further Reading

1. Oliver D. Basketball on Paper: Rules and Tools for Performance Analysis. Potomac Books, 2004.

2. Basketball-Reference.com. Glossary, Effective Field Goal Percentage and True Shooting Percentage. Sports Reference LLC.

3. National Basketball Association. Official NBA Advanced Stats Glossary. NBA.com/Stats.

Important Disclaimer

This calculator is for informational and analytical purposes. Effective field goal percentage is one of several shooting efficiency metrics and should be considered alongside shot volume, distribution, and other performance statistics for a complete evaluation of player or team performance.