
Basketball is a popular sport with a dedicated fan base, and reading a basketball scoreboard is a great way to keep up with the action. It's easy to follow once you know what to look for. At the top, you'll see the game score and a breakdown of points for each quarter. Below this, you'll find the player and team statistics, including categories like points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. These stats are used to calculate efficiency ratings, which evaluate a player's or team's performance. With this information, you can quickly see which players and teams are dominating the game.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Score | Final score of the game |
| Shots Attempted | Number of free throw attempts and field goal attempts |
| Points Scored Per Shot | Points scored per shot |
| True Shooting Percentage | Percentage of shots that were true shots |
| Rebounds | Offensive and defensive rebounds |
| Assists | Total number of assists |
| Steals | Total number of steals |
| Blocks | Total number of blocks |
| Fouls | Total number of fouls |
| Turnovers | Number of times a team loses possession before creating a scoring opportunity |
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What You'll Learn

The final score
All of these factors contribute to the final score, and understanding them can provide a more detailed analysis of a game and a team's performance. The final score is important, but it is not always an accurate reflection of the game, and a deeper dive into the statistics is required to truly understand the outcome.
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Shots attempted
The calculation of shots attempted can be a little tricky, as you have to account for both free throw attempts and field goal attempts. The best way to calculate "shots" is to use the formula FGA + 0.475 x FTA. With this calculation, it is easy to then work out the points scored per shot.
Field goal percentage (FG%) refers to the field goal attempts made by a player or team and gives insight into how well they performed in a game. To calculate FG%, divide the number of field goals made by the number of field goal attempts.
In addition to FG%, you can also calculate a player or team's free throw percentage (FT%). This refers to the number of free throw attempts made by a player or team. To calculate free throw percentage, divide the number of free throws made by the number of free throw attempts.
It is also possible to calculate a player or team's offensive and defensive rebounding percentages. A rebound occurs when a player recovers the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw attempt. The offensive rebounding percentage is the percentage of possible rebounds that a team's offence collected. For NCAA Division One basketball, offensive rebounding percentages typically fall between 30 and 35 per cent.
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Points per shot
Calculating points per shot is relatively straightforward. However, counting shots can be a little tricky as you have to account for both free-throw attempts and field goal attempts. One way to calculate shots is by using the formula FGA + 0.475 x FTA. Once you have a way to count shots, you can easily calculate the points per shot.
Statgeeks often use true shooting percentage (TS%) instead of reporting points per shot. This makes more sense if free throws are to be taken into account. With true shooting percentages for each team and the number of shots attempted by each team, we can begin to understand how differences in shooting efficiency and the number of shots taken affect the outcome of the game. For example, a team with an advantage in true shooting percentage and the number of shots attempted wins 100% of the time.
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Rebounds
There are two main categories of rebounds: offensive and defensive. Offensive rebounds occur when a player grabs the ball after their team's missed shot, providing the team with a fresh shot clock and another chance to score. Defensive rebounds occur when a player on the defending team gains possession of the ball after the opposing team's missed shot. The majority of rebounds are defensive rebounds because the defending team tends to be in a better position to recover missed shots.
To be a successful rebounder, players must have a combination of physical attributes and technical skills. Size and jump height are important, but they are not the only factors that contribute to rebounding success. Great rebounders also need a keen sense of timing and positioning. They must learn how the ball behaves so that they can position themselves accordingly. For example, if the ball hits the hoop after a high trajectory, it will bounce higher but shorter than if it hits at a shallower angle. Players can improve their rebounding technique by bending their knees slightly, positioning themselves between their opponent and the basket, and raising their hands above shoulder height to shorten the way up when the ball bounces off the ring.
Rebounding statistics are included in a basketball box score, which is a detailed summary of the results from a game. The box score lists every player on the roster and their respective stats, including the total number of rebounds collected. Rebounding statistics can be used to calculate rebounding percentages for individual players and teams, which can help with understanding the outcome of a game.
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Steals
While smaller, quicker guards tend to accumulate the most steals, there are many exceptions. For example, forward Rick Barry led the NBA in steals in the 1974-75 season, and for many years, centre Hakeem Olajuwon led his team in steals, consistently ranking among the league's leaders.
Kendall Gill and Larry Kenon are tied for the most steals in a regular NBA season game with eleven. The player with the most steals in an NBA season is Alvin Robertson with 301 steals in the 1985-86 season. The NBA's all-time leader for steals is John Stockton, with 3,265 steals in his career. The NBA leader in steals per game is Robertson, with an average of 2.71 per game (career, 1250 steals minimum) and 3.67 per game (season, 125 minimum).
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Frequently asked questions
A basketball box score is a detailed summary of the results from a game. It includes team and player statistics such as minutes played, total points, field goal percentage, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots.
The two most important statistics for each team are the number of shots attempted and the points scored per shot. Other key statistics include rebound percentages, pace, turnover percentage, and efficiency ratings.
The number of shots attempted can be calculated by accounting for both free throw attempts and field goal attempts. A common way to calculate this is by using the formula: Shots = FGA + 0.475 x FTA.
Player statistics on a basketball box score typically include minutes played, points scored, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. It may also include field goal and free throw percentages.
The efficiency rating is a composite statistic that distils a player's key statistics into one numerical score. It is calculated using the formula: EFF = (Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) – ((Field Goals Attempted – Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Attempted – Free Throws Made) + Turnovers).











































