Basketball stats, explained

A basketball box score is a list of counting stats. This guide covers the ten core stats a statkeeper keeps for every player, what each one means, and where the rules leave room for judgment.

Counting stats and derived stats

A statkeeper records two kinds of numbers. Counting stats are things you see happen and write down: a made three, a rebound, a steal. Derived stats come from the counting stats by arithmetic. Points add up the made shots. Shooting percentages divide makes by attempts. A rebound total adds offensive and defensive rebounds.

If the counting stats are right, the derived stats are right too.

The basketball box score guide shows how these stats sit together in one table. For the game-day routine of recording them, read how to keep basketball stats.

Scoring

• Points: two for a field goal inside the three-point line, three from beyond it, one for each free throw.
• Field goal percentage (FG%): made field goals divided by field goal attempts.
• Three-point percentage (3P%): made threes divided by three-point attempts.
• Free throw percentage (FT%): made free throws divided by free throw attempts.

Possession

• Rebounds: getting control of the ball after a missed shot, split into offensive and defensive rebounds.
• Assists: the pass that leads directly to a teammate's basket.
• Turnovers: losing the ball to the other team before a shot goes up.

Defense

• Steals: a defender's action that causes a turnover, where the defender touches the ball.
• Blocks: a defender changes the flight of a shot and the shot misses.

Fouls

• Fouls: personal fouls, technical fouls, and charges taken.

Lineup stats

• Plus/minus (+/-): the team's point margin while a player is on the floor. It comes from who was on the court when each basket was scored, not from anything a player did alone.

Whose rules?

Leagues do not define every stat the same way. The FIBA Statisticians' Manual is a detailed public rulebook for statkeepers, and the NBA publishes its own stats glossary. U.S. high school basketball plays under NFHS rules. Each page in this guide gives the common definition first, then names the places where rule sets disagree. When your league has its own guidance, follow it.

Keeping these stats by voice

HoopReads counts the same stats. The statkeeper says what happened, for example "James hits a three" or "Carter defensive rebound", and HoopReads adds it to the live box score. Each stat page linked above shows a phrase HoopReads understands and the stat it records. For the full walkthrough, see how a voice basketball stat tracker works.