What is effective field goal percentage (efg%) in basketball?
Effective field goal percentage adjusts shooting percentage to account for three-pointers being worth more than two-pointers.
eFG% = (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM) / FGA
How effective field goal percentage is recorded
Calculated from the box score after the game rather than recorded live: made field goals plus half of made three-pointers, divided by attempts.
Worked example from a box score
A line of 6-14 FG with 3-7 from three is 42.9% FG but 53.6% eFG% — (6 + 1.5) / 14 — because three of those makes were worth an extra point each.
What a good effective field goal percentage looks like at youth level
50% eFG% is a good youth benchmark and 55%+ is genuinely efficient scoring, regardless of where the shots come from.
Why it matters for a youth athlete
It is the fairest single shooting number. A player at 42% FG who shoots threes may be more efficient than a player at 48% who never leaves the paint.
PROSCORE logs effective field goal percentage inside the basketball season record and keeps it attached to your athlete — free for families.
Related terms
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