Glossary
Basketball stats, explained in plain English
Every stat on a youth basketball box score — what it means, how it gets recorded, and what it actually tells you about an athlete's game.
All glossary terms
Assist(AST)
An assist is credited to the player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that directly leads to a made field goal.
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio(A/TO)
Assist-to-turnover ratio measures how many assists a player records for every turnover they commit.
Block(BLK)
A block is credited when a defender legally deflects a field goal attempt on its way to the basket, preventing the shot from scoring.
Box Score
A box score is the per-game summary table listing every player's statistics — points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, fouls, shooting splits and minutes.
Double-Double
A double-double is a single game in which a player reaches ten or more in two statistical categories — most often points and rebounds.
Effective Field Goal Percentage(eFG%)
Effective field goal percentage adjusts shooting percentage to account for three-pointers being worth more than two-pointers.
Field Goal Percentage(FG%)
Field goal percentage is the share of a player's shot attempts from the floor that go in, excluding free throws.
Free Throw Percentage(FT%)
Free throw percentage is the share of unguarded shots from the free throw line that a player makes.
Minutes Played(MIN)
Minutes played is the total game time an athlete is on the floor, used to put every other stat in context.
Offensive Rebound(OREB)
An offensive rebound is credited when a player recovers the ball after their own team misses a shot, giving that team a new possession.
Personal Foul(PF)
A personal foul is charged for illegal contact with an opponent, and a player is disqualified after reaching the game limit — five fouls in most youth and high-school rule sets.
Points(PTS)
Points are the total score a player contributes, counting two for a field goal inside the arc, three for a field goal behind the arc, and one for each made free throw.
Rebound(REB)
A rebound is credited to the player who gains possession of the ball after a missed field goal or free throw.
Steal(STL)
A steal is credited when a defensive player legally takes the ball away from an offensive player, causing a change of possession.
Three-Point Percentage(3P%)
Three-point percentage is the share of a player's attempts from behind the three-point arc that are made.
Turnover(TO)
A turnover is charged to a player who loses possession to the other team without a shot attempt — through a bad pass, a lost dribble, an offensive foul, or a violation.