What Is FTA in Basketball? Free Throws Attempted Explained

FTA means free throws attempted: the number of free throws a player or team takes, including both makes and misses. It measures volume at the foul line, not shooting accuracy. The NBA’s official stat glossary uses this definition for player and team statistics.

If a player takes two free throws and makes one, the box score adds 2 FTA and 1 FTM. FTA counts individual shots—not trips to the line, fouls drawn or points scored.

How to read FTA in a box score

Here is a hypothetical player who makes eight of ten free throws:

The percentage calculation is FT% = (FTM ÷ FTA) × 100, consistent with the NBA’s FT% definition. Each successful free throw is worth one point under NBA scoring rules, so ten attempts do not mean ten points: this player scored eight points at the line.

A box-score column labeled FTM–FTA might display that performance as 8–10. Read the column heading rather than treating the second number as misses.

Also check the table’s setting. In a single-game box score, FTA is that game’s count. In a totals table, it covers the selected season or other period. In a per-game table, it is an average: 30 attempts across five games equals 6.0 FTA per game.

Why FTA is not the same as fouls drawn

One foul can produce different numbers of attempts. Under NBA foul rules, ordinary shooting-foul situations include:

• A made basket plus a foul: one additional free throw—the “and-one.”
• A missed two-point shot with a shooting foul: two free throws.
• A missed three-point shot with a shooting foul: three free throws.

Certain non-shooting fouls also produce free throws when the team-foul penalty is in effect. Technical-foul free throws can be taken by an eligible teammate rather than someone who personally drew contact. Consequently, you cannot divide FTA by two to reliably calculate either fouls drawn or trips to the line.

For the separate count of fouls a player commits, see PF in basketball stats.

What a high FTA number tells you

A high FTA total tells you a player had many free-throw opportunities. It does not establish that the player is an accurate shooter or an efficient scorer.

When comparing players, check minutes, games played and offensive role before ranking raw totals. For comparisons across teams or eras, also consider pace and foul rules: more possessions provide more opportunities to accumulate attempts. Compare FT% alongside FTA to distinguish getting to the line from converting there.

At team level, a related measure is free-throw attempt rate. The NBA defines it as FTA ÷ FGA. For example, 20 free-throw attempts divided by 80 field-goal attempts gives 0.250, or 25 free-throw attempts per 100 field-goal attempts. That is a volume ratio—not a 25% free-throw shooting percentage.