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True Shooting Percentage Calculator

Measure a basketball player's scoring efficiency from points, field goal attempts and free throw attempts.

Level: Grades 6–7

  • Common Core standard 6.EE.A.2.cEvaluate expressions at specific values of their variables. Include expressions that arise from formulas used in real-world problems. Perform arithmetic operations, including those involving whole-number exponents, in the conventional order when there are no parentheses to specify a particular order (Order of Operations).
  • Common Core standard 6.RP.A.3.cFind a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100 (e.g., 30% of a quantity means 30/100 times the quantity); solve problems involving finding the whole, given a part and the percent.
Printable worksheet

True Shooting Percentage Calculator

Inputs

Two-point and three-point shots attempted.

Result

True shooting percentage (TS%)

58.1%

25 points on 18 field goal attempts and 8 free throw attempts is a true shooting percentage of 58.1%.

True shooting attempts (TSA)
21.52
Points per shooting attempt
1.162

See the step-by-step solution ↓

Step-by-step solution

  1. Count the scoring chances used (true shooting attempts). Each shot from the field is one chance, and each free throw counts as 0.44 of one

    18+0.44×8=21.52

  2. Divide the points by twice those chances. Doubling sets the scale so a made two on every chance would be 100%

    252×21.52=0.580855

  3. Write it as a percentage

    0.580855×100=58.085502%

Test yourself

20 quick questions built from this calculator's formula: work out results, predict what happens when an input changes, and work backward from an answer. Every answer comes with the working.

What this calculator does

Find out how efficiently a basketball player scores, counting threes and free throws fairly. True shooting percentage, written TS%, answers a simple question: how many points does a player produce for the shots they use? Plain field goal percentage treats a made three like a made two, and it ignores free throws entirely. So a player who scores a lot at the free-throw line or from behind the arc looks worse than they are. True shooting fixes both by starting from points scored.

This calculator takes three box-score numbers: points, field goal attempts and free throw attempts. Then it applies the standard formula used in professional basketball stats. It also shows true shooting attempts, the number of scoring chances the formula says the player used. And it shows points per shooting attempt.

Where it's used

Why this math matters outside the classroom:

  • Comparing scorers. A guard with 25 points on 18 shots and 8 free throws uses 21.52 attempts, a true shooting percentage of 58.1%.
  • Free throw weighting. Students see why 10 free throw attempts count as 4.4 shooting attempts, not 10 or 5, when the formula is applied.
  • Team shooting reports. Coaches total a team's points, shots and free throws after a game to see whether its offense was efficient overall.
  • Fantasy research. Fantasy basketball players compare two scorers with similar points per game and favor the one with the higher true shooting.
  • Broadcast graphics. Fans check a TV graphic by entering the same three box-score numbers and confirming the percentage shown.

Grade level and standards: Grades 6–7; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics 6.EE.A.2.c, 6.RP.A.3.c. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

How to use it

  1. Enter the player's total points for the game, season or stretch you want to measure.
  2. Enter field goal attempts (twos and threes together) and free throw attempts from the same games.
  3. Read the true shooting percentage. Then check the working to see how the free throws were turned into attempts.

What the inputs mean

Field goal attempts (FGA)
Every shot from the field counts, made or missed, including three-point attempts. Don't add three-point attempts a second time.
Free throw attempts (FTA)
All free throw attempts, made or missed. The formula counts each one as 0.44 of a shot, not a full shot.

Formula and method

TSA = FGA + 0.44 × FTA
TS% = PTS ÷ (2 × TSA) × 100

In the formulas, TSA is true shooting attempts, FGA is field goal attempts, FTA is free throw attempts and PTS is points.

True shooting attempts estimate how many scoring chances a player used. A field goal attempt is one chance. Free throws come in sets of one, two or three, and some follow a made basket. So the formula counts each free throw as 0.44 of a chance. That's a long-standing estimate of the share of free throws that end a possession (a team's turn with the ball).

Points are then divided by twice the attempts. The 2 sets the scale, so a player who made a two on every chance would score exactly 100%. That's why true shooting can be compared directly with ordinary field goal percentage on twos.

Worked example

A guard scores 25 points on 18 field goal attempts and 8 free throw attempts.

  1. True shooting attempts: 18 + 0.44 × 8 = 18 + 3.52 = 21.52.
  2. Twice the attempts: 2 × 21.52 = 43.04.
  3. Points divided by that: 25 ÷ 43.04 = 0.580855.
  4. As a percentage: 0.580855 × 100 = 58.0855%.

Result: The guard's true shooting percentage is 58.1%, about 1.16 points per shooting attempt.

Understanding the result

In recent professional seasons, true shooting across the whole league has sat in the high 50s. So around 57% to 58% is roughly average, and above 60% is efficient. The best high-volume scorers reach the mid-60s. Below about 52% usually means a player is costing the team points with the shots they take.

TS% can go over 100% in a tiny sample. Say a player makes all 10 of their free throws and takes no shots from the field. That's 10 points on 4.4 attempts, which is 113.6%. Over a full season this never happens. It's a reminder to look at how many shots a player takes, as well as the rate.

Assumptions and limitations

  • The 0.44 free-throw weight is an estimate based on league averages. It's the same value the professional league's own glossary uses.
  • Stats are whole numbers. Points can't be more than three per field goal attempt plus one per free throw attempt.
  • True shooting measures scoring efficiency only. It ignores turnovers, assists, how hard the shots were, and defense.
  • Some sources use a slightly different free-throw factor, such as 0.475 in older college formulas. So their figures can differ by a few tenths.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between true shooting and effective field goal percentage?

Effective field goal percentage adjusts for the extra point on threes, but it ignores free throws. True shooting starts from total points, so it covers threes and free throws together. A player who draws a lot of fouls rates noticeably higher on true shooting.

Why is the free throw factor 0.44 and not 0.5?

Two free throws usually make up one trip down the floor, which would suggest 0.5. But and-one free throws come after a made basket, technical fouls give a single shot, and some fouls award three. So on average, each free throw stands for a bit less than half a possession. 0.44 is the standard estimate.

Is a true shooting percentage of 60% good?

Yes. In recent professional seasons, 60% is clearly above league average. It's a strong mark for a player who takes a lot of shots.

Can I use it for a team?

Yes. Enter the team's total points, field goal attempts and free throw attempts, and the formula works the same way.

Sources

How this calculator is checked

Method: Professional basketball true shooting definition: PTS ÷ (2 × (FGA + 0.44 × FTA)), as published in the professional league's statistics glossary. The calculation is covered by automated tests with known reference values and edge cases. Last updated 2026-10-18. Found a problem? Tell us.

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