What is a field goal in basketball? How to calculate basketball field goal percentage

In basketball, scoring is the most important factor in determining a team’s victory. To do that, players must make accurate shots into the opponent’s basket. These scoring shots are called Field Goals, including many different ways of finishing such as layups, dunks or long shots. Understanding the types of goals and how to score not only helps players improve their skills but also helps fans watch the match more fully. Premiumsoccertips.net shares this article to help you better understand the concept of what is a field goal in basketball and its importance in each match.

What is a field goal in basketball?

A Field Goal (FG) in basketball is any shot that scores a point from a live ball situation, excluding free throws. This includes many different types of shots such as slam dunks, jump shots, layups, and hook shots. These shots play an important role in the game, helping the team maintain the game and win. Compared to free throws, Field Goals are more diverse and require high skills from the player.

There are two main types of Field Goals recognized in the rules of basketball: two-point goals and three-point goals. A shot is counted as two points when the player shoots from within the three-point line, while a shot from outside the three-point line is counted as three points. Excellent players often have the ability to score flexibly from many positions on the court, giving the team more options for attack. Additionally, teams often build strategies around shooters with high shooting percentages to optimize scoring efficiency.

NBA legends such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant are all known for their impressive scoring ability both inside and outside the three-point line. To evaluate a player’s effectiveness in scoring, people often rely on Field Goal Percentage (FGP). This index represents the number of successful shots over the total number of shots, reflecting the stability and efficiency of a player’s scoring. A high FG percentage often shows accurate shooting ability, making the player a great threat on the court and contributing significantly to the team’s performance.

What is field goal percentage in basketball?

Before determining field goal percentage, you need to understand two other important metrics called field goal attempts (FGA) and field goal attempts (FGM).

FGM is the number of times a player successfully completes a shot, while FGA is the number of times a player attempts a shot, regardless of whether it is successful or not.

Field goal percentage (FG% or FGP) is the ratio of successful field goal attempts to attempted shots over a given period of time. It is used to measure a player’s efficiency on the field and remains one of the most important statistics for measuring a player’s performance in a game.

You can calculate FG% as follows:

Field Percentage = (Field Shots / Attempted Shots) x100%

OR

FG% = FGM/FGA × 100%

For example, if you made 15 shots out of 28 attempts in a game, your success rate would be

FG% = ( 15 / 28 ) x100% = 53.57%

This means that you made just over half of the shots you took in that game. Any FGP above 40% is very respectable, even in the NBA.

Types of 2-point shots

A two-point shot is a shot taken on or above the three-point line, except for free throws. If the player’s feet touch the three-point line when shooting, the shot is still counted as two points. Common types include:

• Lay-up: The player runs to the basket, scoring inside the restricted area without touching the rim.
• Dunk: The player jumps up, finishes by dunking the ball into the basket.
• Hook: The player uses one hand to throw the ball over his head to avoid the defender.
• Floater: The player stops mid-air, throwing the ball high over the defense.
• Jump shot: A shot taken inside the three-point line while jumping, including fadeaway, step-back, and pull-up.

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Types of 3-point shots

A three-point shot is made when the player shoots with both feet behind the three-point line. If the feet touch the line, the shot is counted as two points only. Common types include:

• Jump shot: Most popular method because it is difficult to dunk or layup without stepping on the three-point line.
• Hook shot: Usually performed by tall players, helps avoid being blocked. Includes jump hook and skyhook.

How to improve your scoring ability on the court

Three point shots

• Warm-up: Jog lightly, practice shooting from close range (5 feet), score before backing away, repeat to the three-point line.
• Practice speed: If with a teammate, coordinate passes and rebounds. If practicing alone, pass and throw back, catch the ball and dribble back to your starting position.
• Competition: Practice with defenders, face defensive pressure, sometimes accept minor fouls to improve accuracy.

Two point shots

• Dunk Practice: Jump up to the basket repeatedly to increase your range and shooting skills, add defenders to block for increased difficulty.
• Passing: Practice chest passes and bounce passes, possibly bounce the ball against the wall to increase control.

In Conclusion

In short, what is a field goal in basketball? It plays a key role in determining the performance of the team and individual players. Although defense and teamwork are also important, the ability to score points is still the decisive factor in winning each match. As a high-scoring sport, basketball always focuses on scoring, making field goals the most important measure of a team’s success.

See more: Top 7 players NBA highest field goal percentage in a season