Basketball is a game of numbers. Numbers will decide who will win the ball game (except turnovers). Assists, rebounds, blocks, and steals can contribute to a team’s victory. However, points or field goals play a huge role in a team’s success because points are the basis of who wins the game.
There are two ways to score in basketball. It is either a field goal or a free-throw. Free-throws are an easier shot than field goal shots. However, players most prefer to get their points from field goal shots.
Today, we are going to talk about field goals in basketball. We’ll take a look at the deeper meaning of field goals.
What Is A Field Goal In Basketball (FG)?
A field goal is a point scored from any location inside the court except free-throws and out of bounds. Field goals is classified in two, a shot made field goal or an attempted field goal. The worth of a made Field Goals in basketball depends on the league, but in the NBA, Field Goals could be two points or three points. Unlike free-throws, Field Goals should be made while the clock is ticking.
The Field Goal is used to record the three significant statistics that are used to track a player’s performance. These three are:
- Field Goals Attempted (FGA)
- Field Goals Made (FGM)
- Lastly, Field Goal Percentage (FG%)
How Many Points Is A Field Goal In Basketball?
Honestly, the number of points in one field goal shot depends on the league rules. However, most basketball leagues around the world follow the field goal format of the NBA.
A professional league like the Euroleague, NBA, etc. is using the traditional number of points per field goal. They use the 2-points and three-points shot system. When a shot is made inside the arc, will be counted as 2-points. If the shot made outside the arc (full-court shot and the half-court shot included), is counted as 3-points. The NCAA and the NBA have a different court measurement. They differ in the distance and shape of the 3-points line.
The professional league of FIBA is also using the NBA system when it comes to field goals. However, the FIBA 3×3 league uses a different field goal rule. In the FIBA 3×3 league, the 2-points made is considered as 1 point only. While the 3-points made outside the arc is counted as 2-points only.
In other basketball leagues, they have a 4-point field goal spot. The BIG3 is the only basketball league that uses this kind of system, but it was the Harlem Globetrotters who made it established.
What Are Field Goals Attempted Or FGA In Basketball?
Every shot a basketball player takes is an example of field goal attempts. Even a player did hit the shot or missed shot is still counted as a field goal attempted. In simple words, the field goal attempted is every shot you take (except free throws).
Many categories are related to field goals attempted (FGA). They are the following:
- Two-point Field Goals Attempted (2FGA)
- Three-point Field Goals Attempted (3PA)
- Percent of Team’s Field Goals Attempted (%FGA)
- Percent of Field Goals Attempted [2 Pointers] (%FGA 2PT)
- Two Point Field Goal Frequency (2FG FREQ) ;(2FGA)/(FGA)
- Percent of Field Goals Attempted [3 Pointers] (%FGA 3PT)
- Three-Point Field-Goal Frequency (3FG FREQ) ; (3FGA)/(FGA)
The 2-points FGA is every attempted 2-pointers of each player, while the 3-point FGA is the shot attempted outside the arc. The Percent of Team’s Field Goal Attempted is a stat that tracks the percentage of how many shots a single player takes from all shots taken by the entire team. While the %FGA 2PT and %FGA 3PT are the percentages of 3-pointers or 2-pointers a player or team attempted. For more info, check the link here that will bring you to the stat glossary of the NBA.
What Are Field Goals Made Or FGM In Basketball?
The Field Goals Made, or FGM is the shots you have attempted that successfully go in the rim. If you hit one shot and it goes in the rim, you will earn one FGM in the stat.
Likewise, the Field Goals Made are also related in many categories that statistician records. They are:
- Field Goals Made [Assisted] (FGM %AST)
- Field Goals Made [Unassisted] (FGM %UAST)
- Percent of Team’s Field Goals Made (%FGM)
- 2 Point Field Goals Made (2FGM) | (2FGM %AST) | (2FGM %UAST)
- 3 Point Field Goals Made (3PM) | (3FGM %AST) | (3FGM %UAST)
Field Goals Made (Assisted) are the shots made by a player that is assisted by his teammate. On the other hand, the Field Goals Made (Unassisted) are the percentage of shots made by a player that is not assisted by his teammates. For more information, go through this link.
If you are fouled while in the shooting motion, and your shot doesn’t go in. The shot isn’t counted as an FGM or FGA. But if you are fouled in the shooting motion, and the shot goes in, then it is counted as both FGM and FGA.
What Is Field Goal Percentage Or FG% In Basketball?
The Field Goal Percentage is the basis of how good a shooter you are. Computing the Field Goal Percentage will show if how many attempted shots you have managed to sink in. Let me give you an example below, and let me show you how it computed.
Let’s say a player made 20 shot attempts, and only 10 have successfully sunk in the rim. It means that a player has 10/20. The formula is Field Goals Made/Field Goals Attempted) x 100. Let’s check the Field Goal Percentage of my example above.
( 10 / 20 ) x100 %
( 0.5 ) x 100 %
50%
In our example above, the player got a 50% percentage. The lower the percentage a player has, the more missed shots he made.
Conclusion
Free-throws are an essential part of scoring as well, but Field Goals are the pillars of a team’s offense. The Field Goal is a useful statistic that all basketball leagues used to determine how horrible and good players are.
Now that you know how essential Field Goals are, I hope you put more effort into practicing your shots.
If you wanted to check all stats of all NBA players, retired or current players, go through this link.
