How Field Goals and FG% Work in a Box Score

FG means field goal in basketball: a two- or three-point shot made or attempted during live play. Free throws are recorded separately, so they do not count toward field goals or field-goal percentage.

In a box score, FG may appear as a made-attempted line such as 8-15. That means the player made eight field goals on 15 field-goal attempts. NBA box scores also use FGM for field goals made, FGA for field goals attempted and FG% for field-goal percentage (NBA).

Enter the makes, attempts and three-pointers; the calculator shows FG%, eFG% and points from the field.

FG, FGM, FGA and FG% Have Different Meanings

Abbreviation	Meaning	Example
FG	Field goals, often shown as makes-attempts	8-15
FGM	Field goals made	8
FGA	Field goals attempted	15
FG%	Percentage of attempts made	53.3%

Field-goal percentage is calculated as: FG% = FGM ÷ FGA × 100.

For a player who shoots 8-for-15, the calculation is 8 ÷ 15 × 100 = 53.3%.

The 15 attempts can be any combination of two-point and three-point shots. Three-point makes and attempts are included in FGM and FGA, while also appearing separately as 3PM and 3PA.

Suppose the player made six twos and two threes. The box score records eight field goals made. Those baskets produced 18 points from the field:

• Six made twos: 6 × 2 = 12 points
• Two made threes: 2 × 3 = 6 points
• Total: 18 points

Under NBA rules, a legal field goal made on or inside the three-point line counts for two points. A field goal made from outside the line counts for three (NBA rulebook).

Made Twos and Threes Both Count as One FGM

FGM counts successful field goals, not the number of points those shots produced. A made layup and a made three-pointer each add one FGM and one FGA.

That is why the number of points from field goals cannot always be determined from FGM alone. If all eight makes were two-pointers, they would produce 16 points. If some were threes, the point total would be higher.

When 3PM is available, points from field goals can be calculated as: 2 × FGM + 3PM. This works because every field goal starts with a value of two points, and each made three adds one more.

Free-throw points still have to be added separately to obtain a player’s full scoring total.

What Counts as a Field-Goal Attempt

A shot, layup, dunk, hook or controlled scoring tip from live play can produce an FGA. A made shot always produces both an FGM and an FGA. A missed attempt normally adds only an FGA.

Several plays require more specific statistical treatment.

A Blocked Shot Usually Remains an Attempt

A blocked shot ordinarily counts as an attempt when the play is judged to be a shot. The FIBA statisticians’ manual records an FGA when a shot is blocked. NCAA guidance applies criteria such as whether the ball was in flight or the player was clearly shooting.

This means a blocked attempt can lower FG% even if the ball never reaches the rim.

A Foul Can Determine Whether a Miss Counts

If the shooter is fouled before the ball is in flight and misses, no FGA is usually charged. If the basket is made, an FGM and FGA are recorded—the familiar “and-one.”

A miss can still count as an FGA when the foul occurs after the ball is clearly in flight. The 2025-26 NCAA statisticians’ manual explains these distinctions, while FIBA similarly separates a shooting foul from a foul after release.

The official total therefore depends on how the scorer classifies the shot and the timing of the foul, not merely on whether the player released the ball.

Free Throws Never Enter FG%

A free throw is recorded as an FTA, not an FGA. A made free throw is worth one point and does not affect FG%.

For example, a player could make no field goals but score through free throws. The points would appear in the scoring total, while FGM would remain zero.

Some NBA Heaves Become Team Attempts

Treatment of end-of-period heaves depends on the competition’s statistical rules. Under the NBA’s heave rule, a qualifying missed shot becomes a team attempt rather than an individual FGA.

The test covers shots taken in the final three seconds of the first three quarters, from at least 36 feet, on plays starting in the backcourt (NBA). See the full NBA heave rule.

These scoring details explain why counting every visible release from game video may not reproduce the official FGA total.

FG% Does Not Account for the Extra Value of Threes

FG% measures how often shots from the floor go in, but it treats a made two and a made three identically.

Consider two players who each take 10 shots. Player A makes five two-pointers and no threes. Player B makes five three-pointers and no twos.

Player	FG	FG%	Field-goal points
A	5-10	50.0%	10
B	5-10	50.0%	15

Their FG% is equal, yet Player B produces five more points because every make is a three.

Effective field-goal percentage (eFG%) adjusts for that difference by giving an extra half-make of credit for each made three. The formula is: eFG% = (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM) ÷ FGA × 100.

NBA Stats defines eFG% as field-goal percentage adjusted for the greater value of three-pointers (NBA Stats). In the example, Player A has a 50% eFG%, while Player B has a 75% eFG%.

An eFG% can exceed a player’s FG% because the added value of made threes is built into the calculation. It does not mean the player made a greater share of attempts than the ordinary FG% reports.

FG% Answers a Narrow Shooting Question

FG% answers: What share of this player’s or team’s shots from the floor went in? It does not show how many of the makes were worth three points, how often the player reached the free-throw line or how many points were produced per scoring opportunity.

For a fuller view of scoring efficiency, check the two-point and three-point breakdown, eFG%, free throws and shot volume alongside FG%. Comparisons should also account for competition, era, role and shot location because each can shape the number.