What Is 3-Point Percentage?
Three-point percentage (3P%) is one of the most important shooting statistics in basketball. It measures how efficiently a player or team converts shots taken from beyond the three-point line. A higher 3P% means a player is making a larger share of their long-range attempts, which is a key indicator of perimeter scoring efficiency.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter the number of 3-pointers made and the total number of 3-point attempts, then read the result. The calculator divides makes by attempts, multiplies by 100, and shows your shooting percentage along with how many three-point shots were missed.
The Formula Explained
The formula is $$\text{3P\%} = 100 \times \left(\frac{\text{3-Pointers Made}}{\text{3-Point Attempts}}\right)$$ "Made" counts only successful three-point shots, while "attempts" counts every three-point shot taken, whether it went in or not. Because every made shot is also an attempt, the number of makes can never exceed the number of attempts.
Worked Example
Suppose a player makes 5 three-pointers on 12 attempts. The calculation is $$100 \times \left(\frac{5}{12}\right) = 100 \times 0.41667 \approx 41.67\%$$ They missed \(12 - 5 = 7\) of their three-point attempts. An NBA-quality season 3P% typically falls between 35% and 42%.
FAQ
What is a good 3-point percentage? At the professional level, anything above 36% is generally considered good, and 40%+ is elite. For high school and recreational play, lower percentages are common.
Does this include free throws or two-pointers? No. 3P% only counts shots attempted from behind the three-point arc. Free throws and two-point field goals are tracked by separate statistics.
What if I made 0 attempts? If there are no attempts, the percentage is undefined; the calculator reports 0% in that case to avoid dividing by zero.
