During a basketball game, a field goal is a basket scored from any part of the court. Depending on where the shot was taken, all field goals have a value between one and three points.
The different types of field goals, examples, and more during a basketball game are explained here.
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Why Is it Called a Field Goal in Basketball?
The court or playing surface is often referred to as the “field” or “field of play” in basketball. That means any baskets scored from the court come from the “field.” This common use of basketball terminology is how many people believe the term “field goal” originated.
It is common to refer to the basketball court as a “field.” This is how many people refer to scoring statistics. Most basketball experts will say that Steph Curry has a 42 percent success rate “when scoring from the field.”
What are the Different Types of Field Goals?
Field goals, three-point field goals, and free throws are the three main types of shots in basketball. According to the specificity of statistics, these shots are considered field goals, but they are usually recorded differently.
Regular Field Goals
Shooters make regular field goals when they are below the three-point arc. They are sometimes called two-point field goals because they are worth two points. An example of a field goal would be a slam dunk or a layup.
Free Throws
A free throw is a field goal that is explicitly scored from the free-throw line. In a game, these opportunities arise as a result of fouls or penalties. Based on the foul that caused the free throw, a player can earn one, two, or three chances to earn a point.
Three-Point Field Goals
Lastly, 3-point field goals are baskets made when a player shoots the ball beyond the three-point line. It was first tested in the NCAA in 1945, then in the NBA in 1979. On October 12, 1979, Chris Ford of the Boston Celtics made the first three-pointer in NBA history.
There is a different distance for the 3-point line in each basketball league. There are 23 feet, 9 inches between the basket and the line in the NBA. The NCAA, WNBA, FIBA, and other legislative bodies, however, set the line at 22 feet, 1.75 inches from the basket. High school basketball’s three-point line is 19 feet, 9 inches away.
What Different Shots Count as Field Goals?
During a basketball game, several different shots count as field goals. The most important thing to remember is that shots from below the three-point line or free throw line count as two-point field goals. Shooting beyond the three-point arc is a three-point shot, while shooting from the free throw line is a one-point shot.
The most popular two-point field goals are layups and slam dunks. Any shot within the three-point line, such as a jump shot, hook shot, or bank shot (where the ball bounces off the backboard before entering the basket), counts for two points.
Jump shots tend to be the most common three-point shots. During this type of shot, someone jumps before releasing the ball. They will toss the ball towards the basket once they reach the apex of their shot.
What is a Good Field Goal Percentage?
Basketball considers anything higher than a 50% field goal good. Certain positions on the court, however, tend to have higher field goal completion rates.
Centers with over a 70% completion rate, for example, are among the best field goal percentage shooters in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain, Mitchell Robinson, and DeAndre Jordan are among the players with the best field goal percentage.
How Do You Calculate Basketball Field Goals?
A field goal percentage formula is used by statisticians to track field goals in basketball. In this formula, the number of baskets made is divided by the number of field goal attempts. When players shoot from the field, this stat shows how accurate they are.
Let’s say that a player took 100 shots during the regular season. Five hundred shots were taken, and fifty-three were made. This means that the player’s field goal percentage was 53%.
What is the Field Goal Abbreviation?
In basketball, what does FG mean? FG stands for field goals, and percentage means field goal percentage. Field goals attempted (FGA) and field goals made (FGM) are also recorded by statisticians. On a basketball box score, you’ll also find two stats related to field goals.
Field goals, three-pointers, and free throws are included in these stats. As with field goals, statisticians record attempted and made baskets of free throws and three-point shots. In order to get the final percentage, those numbers are compared with one another.
Free throw statistics are abbreviated as FTA, FTM, and FT%. In addition, 3PA, 3PM, and 3P% are the abbreviations for three-point shots.
Who are the Best Scorers From the Field in the NBA?
The best players in the NBA make the majority of their field goals these days. Mitchel Robinson holds the single-season record for the stat with a .742 field goal percentage with the New York Knicks during the 2019-2020 season. With a .727 field goal percentage, Wilt Chamberlain is in second place.
Field goal percentage has historically been a lagging stat. There were not many successful field goal attempts made by famous basketball players in history. When shooting from the field, Bill Russell and George Mikan only averaged slightly more than .400.
Who Has the Most Field Goals in NBA History?
The NBA’s most prolific field goal shooter is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 15,837. Karl Malone is the next closest player with 13,528 career field goals.
Conclusion: What is a Field Goal in Basketball?
A basketball field goal is any basket made during a game. Field goals can have different point values, so many people believe they are different scores (unlike touchdowns and extra points in American Football.) However, this is incorrect.
Field goals such as three-point shots and free throws are simply different types of field goals. A common term for scoring makes it easier to talk about and record basketball statistics, which helps newcomers learn the game more quickly.
FAQs
A three-point field goal (also known as a three-pointer, three, or trey) is a field goal made from beyond the three-point line, which surrounds the basket.
A player gets a hat-trick when they score three goals in one game, but the term doesn’t originate from football. It refers to a bowler who takes three wickets from three consecutive balls in cricket. To celebrate this achievement, the club would give the bowler a hat.