Helena Frye
In basketball, FG stands for field goal, which is the official terminology for a made shot used by the National Basketball Association (NBA) in their rule book, box scores, and statistics. A field goal is any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the location of the attempt on the basket. Field goal percentage is an important statistic in basketball, calculated by taking the number of field goals made and dividing it by the number of field goals attempted, then multiplying by 100.
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What You'll Learn
Field goal defined
Basketball has its own unique vocabulary, and for newcomers to the sport, it can be a little overwhelming. One of the most important terms to know is 'field goal'.
A field goal is any shot or tap, other than a free throw, that is attempted by a player. It is the official terminology for a made shot used by the NBA, NCAA, and high school basketball. Field goals are worth two or three points, depending on the location of the attempt on the basket. They can, more unusually, be worth one point in FIBA 3x3 basketball competitions or four points in the BIG3 basketball league.
Field goals can be classified by any shot taken from the court, whether it be a layup or a three-point shot. A slam dunk is one type of field goal. This occurs when a player jumps near the basket with possession of the ball, throwing it down through the basket while airborne.
Field goal percentage is a crucial statistic in basketball. It is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted, and it is used to measure how well a player or team shoots the ball during a game. It is calculated by taking the number of field goals made and dividing it by the number attempted, then multiplying by 100. So, for example, a player that attempted 10 shots and made 4 has a field goal percentage of 40%. A FG% of .500 (50%) or above is considered a good percentage.
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Field goal percentage
In basketball, a field goal is a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw. It is worth two or three points, depending on the location of the attempt on the basket. Field goals can also be worth other values, such as one point in FIBA 3x3 basketball competitions or four points in the BIG3 basketball league.
In the NBA, a FG% of .500 (50%) or above is considered a good percentage, although this criterion does not apply equally to all positions. Guards usually have lower FG% than forwards and centres. A high field goal percentage indicates higher efficiency. However, field goal percentage does not completely tell the skill of a player, as it does not distinguish between two and three-point shots and does not consider free throws.
Some of the players with the highest career field goal percentages include DeAndre Jordan (67.4%), Shaquille O'Neal (around .580), and Wilt Chamberlain (72.7%).
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How to calculate field goal percentage
In basketball, a field goal is a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw. Field goals are worth two or three points, depending on the location of the attempt on the basket. A field goal can also be worth one point in FIBA 3x3 basketball competitions or four points in the BIG3 basketball league.
Field goal percentage (FG%) is a crucial performance statistic in basketball. It is the percentage of successful shots (2 or 3 points) out of all attempted shots (also 2 or 3 points). It does not include free-throw attempts or baskets. The calculation of field goal percentage is done by dividing the number of successful field goal shots by the total number of field goal attempts, then multiplying that figure by 100. For example, if a player has taken 10 shots and made 4 of them, their field goal percentage would be 40%.
Field goal percentage is an important metric for evaluating players and their ability independent of pure scoring. It is used by teams to assess players they may want to draft or trade for. Coaches and announcers often refer to high-percentage field goals, which are typically layups and dunks, the two types of shots that have the highest probability of being successful.
While field goal percentage is a useful statistic, it has been criticised for not distinguishing between two- and three-point shots. An alternative metric that does take this into account is Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%). Additionally, field goal percentage does not consider free throws, which can be important for a team's success. To address this, another alternative statistic has been created, called True Shooting Percentage (TS%).
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Importance of field goal percentage
In basketball, a field goal is a basket scored from any shot or tap except a free throw, earning two or three points depending on the location of the shot. The percentage of field goals made is a crucial statistic for evaluating players and teams. It is calculated by dividing the number of field goals made by the number of attempts, then multiplying by 100. For example, a player with 4 field goals from 10 attempts has a field goal percentage of 40%.
Field goal percentage is one of the most important individual statistics in basketball. It is a simple metric that can indicate a player's shooting proficiency, with players averaging double digits in points per game typically achieving high field goal percentages. A high field goal percentage is desirable, with the record for the highest career field goal percentage held by DeAndre Jordan at 67.4%. Field goal percentage is a key indicator for coaches, who will want to see their players taking more high-percentage shots, such as layups and dunks, than low-percentage shots.
While field goal percentage is a useful indicator of performance, it does not account for the increased value of three-point shots. This has given rise to the metric of effective field goal percentage (eFG%), which provides a more nuanced view of a player or team's offensive performance. eFG% is calculated by adding the number of two-point field goals to 1.5 times the number of three-point field goals, then dividing by the total number of field goal attempts. This gives a more accurate picture of a player or team's shooting efficiency, as it reflects the extra value of three-pointers.
Effective field goal percentage is a crucial statistic for coaches, players, and fans, as it provides a clearer understanding of scoring efficiency. It is particularly useful for evaluating players, as two players can have the same number of points but very different eFG% values. A high eFG% indicates that a team's offense is performing well, as it is a key indicator of scoring success.
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Types of field goals
In basketball, a field goal is any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the location of the attempt on the basket. Field goals can be classified into two primary types: close-range field goals and perimeter-based field goals.
Close-range field goals are shot attempts taken near the basket and feature subtypes such as the layup, the hook shot, the floater, the slam dunk, and the alley-oop action. Layups and dunks are considered high-percentage field goals as they have the highest probability of going in.
Perimeter-based field goals are shot attempts taken further away from the basket and include subtypes like the standard mid-range jump shot, the bank shot, the fadeaway jump shot, and the three-point jump shot. Perimeter-based field goals outside the standard three-point line are typically worth two points, while those inside the three-point line may be worth one point in certain variations of basketball, such as 3x3.
The field goal percentage is a crucial statistic in basketball, calculated by dividing the number of made shots by the total number of shot attempts, multiplied by 100. It helps evaluate players' performance and skills, with a higher field goal percentage often correlating with a higher average of points per game.
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Frequently asked questions
FG stands for Field Goal.
A field goal is any shot, other than a free throw, that is attempted by a player. It is a basket scored on any shot or tap and is worth two or three points depending on the location of the attempt on the basket.
Field goal percentage is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. It is used to measure how well a player or team shoots the ball during a game. It is calculated by dividing the number of made shots by the total number of shot attempts.
A FG% of .500 (50%) or above is considered a good percentage, though this criterion does not apply equally to all positions. Guards usually have lower FG% than forwards and centers.
