Effective field goal percentage, usually written as eFG%, is a basketball shooting metric that adjusts for the extra value of three-pointers. It tells you how efficient a shooter or team was from the field, while giving made three-point shots more credit than made two-point shots.
This calculator finds eFG% from field goals made, three-pointers made, and field goals attempted. If you want to compare it with other basketball efficiency measures, you may also find our field goal attempt rate calculator useful. For the general idea of what a calculator is, see Wikipedia’s calculator article.
What effective field goal percentage means
A normal field goal percentage treats every made shot the same. That works fine if you only want a basic shooting rate, but it misses the fact that a made three-pointer is worth more than a made two-pointer.
Effective field goal percentage fixes that by counting each made three-pointer as one and a half made field goals. The result is a better shooting-efficiency number for modern basketball, where three-point shots matter a lot.
In plain terms:
- two-point makes count as 1 made field goal
- three-point makes count as 1.5 made field goals
- missed shots still count as missed attempts
So eFG% is not just “how many shots went in.” It is “how much scoring value you got from the shots you made, compared with the shots you took.”
The formula
The standard formula is:
eFG% = (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM) / FGA
Where:
- FGM = field goals made
- 3PM = three-pointers made
- FGA = field goals attempted
To turn the decimal into a percentage, multiply by 100:
eFG% × 100
You may also see it written as:
eFG% = (FGM + 0.5·3PM) ÷ FGA
That is the same method.
Why the 0.5 is there
A three-pointer is worth 3 points, while a two-pointer is worth 2. Compared with a two-point make, a three-point make adds one extra point of value. Since field goal percentage counts makes in units of “one made field goal,” the extra point is represented by adding half a make for each three-pointer.
Another equivalent way to write the idea is:
eFG% = (2PTM + 1.5 × 3PM) / FGA
But the common version uses total field goals made plus half of the three-pointers made.
When you would use it
You would use effective field goal percentage when you want a cleaner look at shooting efficiency than raw field goal percentage provides.
Common uses include:
- comparing players who take different mixes of two-pointers and three-pointers
- evaluating team offense
- checking whether a shooter is getting efficient value from outside shooting
- comparing seasons, games, or lineups where shot selection changed
It is especially helpful when one player shoots many threes and another mostly shoots inside the arc. Raw field goal percentage can make the inside shooter look better even if the outside shooter is creating more point value per attempt.
How to calculate it step by step
Here is the method in words:
- Start with field goals made.
- Add half of the three-pointers made.
- Divide that total by field goals attempted.
- If needed, convert the decimal to a percentage.
That is all the calculator is doing.
Example 1: balanced shooting
Suppose a player has:
- 8 field goals made
- 4 three-pointers made
- 18 field goals attempted
First, adjust the makes:
10 adjusted makes
Then divide by attempts:
0.56 as a decimal
Convert to a percentage:
55.56%
This example shows how made threes increase the final result more than an equal number of made twos would.
Example 2: more three-point volume
Suppose a player has:
- 10 field goals made
- 6 three-pointers made
- 20 field goals attempted
Adjusted makes:
13 adjusted makes
Effective field goal percentage:
65%
Even if the raw field goal percentage looks ordinary, the extra weight from three-pointers can push eFG% higher.
Example 3: low shooting day
Suppose a player has:
- 5 field goals made
- 1 three-pointer made
- 14 field goals attempted
Adjusted makes:
5.5 adjusted makes
Effective field goal percentage:
39.29%
This is still the same formula. The result may feel low if you are expecting a simple “made shots divided by attempts” answer, but that is exactly the point: eFG% rewards value, not just made shots.
How to read the result
The result is usually shown as a percentage. Higher is better, because it means the player or team got more scoring value from each shot attempt.
A few practical ways to think about it:
- If two shooters have the same field goal percentage, the one with the better eFG% hit more valuable shots.
- If a player’s eFG% is much higher than their field goal percentage, that usually means they made a lot of threes.
- If eFG% is close to field goal percentage, the player likely did not make many threes, or the three-point share was small.
Do not treat eFG% as a full measure of scoring quality by itself. It does not include free throws, turnovers, assists, shot difficulty, or offensive rebounds. It only measures shot-making value on field goal attempts.
Common mistakes
A few mistakes come up often when people calculate eFG% by hand.
1. Using three-point attempts instead of three-point makes
The formula uses three-pointers made, not attempted. Only made threes receive the extra half-credit.
2. Counting free throws
Free throws are not part of field goal percentage or effective field goal percentage. If you include them, the result is no longer eFG%.
3. Forgetting to divide by field goal attempts
Some people stop after adding the 0.5 bonus for threes. That gives adjusted makes, not a percentage. You still need to divide by field goal attempts.
4. Confusing eFG% with true shooting percentage
True shooting percentage includes free throws. Effective field goal percentage does not. They answer different questions.
5. Using it for non-basketball contexts
This metric is built for basketball shooting. It does not translate to other sports or general efficiency problems.
Limits of the metric
Effective field goal percentage is useful, but it has clear limits.
It assumes every three-pointer is worth the same extra value. It does not care whether a shot was open, contested, taken late in the clock, or created in transition. It also does not reward free throws, even though free throws can be a major part of scoring efficiency for many players.
Because of that, eFG% is best used as one part of a larger evaluation. For a fuller scoring picture, people often compare it with possession-based metrics, turnover numbers, or other shooting stats. If you are working with broader performance comparisons, a metric like goal contribution rate may also be useful in a different context.
Practical way to use the calculator
If you already have the needed shooting totals, the calculator gives you a fast way to check efficiency without doing the arithmetic yourself.
A good workflow is:
- collect field goals made, three-pointers made, and field goals attempted
- calculate eFG%
- compare the result across games, players, or teams
- use the number alongside other stats, not alone
If you are comparing two players, make sure the sample sizes are similar enough to be meaningful. A single game can swing a lot. Season totals or larger samples usually give a steadier picture.
Frequently asked questions
- Is effective field goal percentage the same as field goal percentage?
- No. Field goal percentage treats every made basket the same, while effective field goal percentage gives extra credit to made three-pointers. That makes eFG% better for comparing shooters with different shot mixes.
- What numbers do I need for eFG%?
- You need field goals made, three-pointers made, and field goals attempted. The formula uses made threes, not three-point attempts, and it does not use free throws.
- Why does a made three-pointer count extra?
- A three-pointer is worth one more point than a two-pointer, so the formula gives it half an extra made field goal. That adjustment makes the percentage reflect scoring value more accurately.
- Can eFG% be over 100%?
- No, not in normal basketball stat lines. Because the formula is based on made shots adjusted for value and divided by attempts, the result stays within the usual percentage range.
- Does eFG% include free throws?
- No. Free throws are not part of effective field goal percentage. If you want a shooting metric that includes free throws, you need a different statistic.
- What is a good eFG%?
- There is no single cutoff that fits every context. It depends on the level of play, the player’s role, and the shot profile. The most useful comparison is against other players, other teams, or the same player over time.
- Why is my eFG% different from raw shooting percentage?
- Because eFG% values three-point makes more highly. If you made several threes, your eFG% will usually be higher than your plain field goal percentage.
About this article
Written by Yahav Atia, WSO – the digital agency (wso.co.il) that owns and founded this site, with the help of AI, and passed automated quality checks before publication. Numbers in the worked examples were computed in code, not estimated.