What Is Effective Field Goal Percentage?
Effective field goal percentage (eFG%) is a basketball shooting-efficiency metric that improves on raw field goal percentage by accounting for the fact that a made three-pointer is worth more than a made two-pointer. Because a 3-pointer produces three points instead of two, eFG% gives a made three half a shot of extra credit, making it a fairer way to compare players and teams with different shot profiles.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter three numbers: total field goals made (FGM), three-point field goals made (3PM), and total field goals attempted (FGA). The calculator returns your eFG% as a percentage, the decimal form, and your raw (unadjusted) field goal percentage for comparison. Note that FGM includes all made shots — both twos and threes — and FGA includes every shot attempt except free throws.
The Formula Explained
The standard formula is $$\text{eFG\%} = \frac{\text{FGM} + 0.5 \times \text{3PM}}{\text{FGA}} \times 100$$ The term \(0.5 \times \text{3PM}\) adds half a basket for each three made, which mirrors the 50% extra value of a 3-pointer over a 2-pointer. The result is then multiplied by 100 to express it as a percentage.
Worked Example
Suppose a player makes 9 field goals on 19 attempts, including 3 three-pointers. $$\text{eFG\%} = \frac{9 + 0.5 \times 3}{19} = \frac{9 + 1.5}{19} = \frac{10.5}{19} = 0.5526$$ or about 55.3%. The raw field goal percentage is only \(9 / 19 = 47.4\%\), so the three-pointers boosted the effective figure by nearly 8 points.
FAQ
Is eFG% better than regular FG%? For evaluating scoring efficiency, yes — it rewards perimeter shooting that raw FG% ignores.
Does eFG% include free throws? No. Free throws are excluded; use true shooting percentage (TS%) if you want to factor them in.
Can eFG% exceed 100%? In theory only if a player makes more than two-thirds of their shots from three with extreme accuracy, but in practice elite seasons land in the 55–65% range.
