Basketball glossary

Percentage of made shots out of all field goal attempts, excluding free throws.

Percentage of made shots from beyond the three-point arc out of all three-point attempts.

Percentage of made free throws, shot without defense from the 15-foot line.

Adjusted FG% that gives 1.5× more weight to made three-pointers to reflect their actual value.

Overall scoring efficiency metric that includes 2-point shots, 3-point shots, and free throws.

Average points scored by a player or team across a season.

Average rebounds grabbed by a player per game, combining offensive and defensive boards.

Passes that directly lead to a made basket by a teammate without significant intermediate dribbling.

Number of balls stolen from an opponent, either off a dribble or a picked-off pass.

Opponent shots legally deflected or stopped while still on their upward trajectory toward the basket.

Point differential between a player's team and the opponent while that player is on the court.

Number of times a player loses the ball to the opponent without a shot being taken.

Percentage of team possessions that end with the player's individual action (shot, free throws, or turnover).

Composite index created by John Hollinger that summarizes a player's per-minute productivity in a single pace-adjusted number.

Estimate of a player's contribution per 100 team possessions, derived from box score stats and adjusted for pace.

Two-man action where one player sets a screen for the ball handler, then rolls to the basket to receive a pass.

Offensive action where one player attacks their direct defender one-on-one, without screens or help from teammates.

Fast-paced transition after a defensive rebound or a steal where the team attacks the rim before the defense can set up.

Defensive system where each player covers an area of the court instead of a specific opponent.

Defensive system where each defender is assigned to a specific opponent across the whole court.

Play where a player stands still to block the path of a teammate's defender, freeing the teammate.

Quick move by an off-ball attacker toward the basket to receive a pass or create space.

Positioning of attackers on the floor to maximize distance between them and stretch the defense thin.

Timer forcing the offensive team to attempt a shot within a set window or lose possession.

An offensive player cannot stay more than 3 consecutive seconds in the opponent's paint without an active attacking intent.

Violation of touching an opponent's shot during its downward arc toward the rim or above the cylinder.

Foul not tied to normal physical contact, but to unsporting conduct or a procedural infraction.

Foul committed by an offensive player, most often a charge against a defender in legal position.

Violation for illegally moving the pivot foot or taking too many steps without dribbling.

Team state triggered when it exceeds a per-period team foul limit: every subsequent foul sends the opponent to the free throw line.

The 1, usually the smallest player on the court, responsible for bringing the ball up and running the offense.

The 2, usually a tall shooter and the team's secondary ball handler, specialized in scoring.

The 3, a versatile medium-tall player who can operate both on the perimeter and inside.

The 4, a tall physical player who combines interior strength and, in the modern game, perimeter shooting.

The 5, the tallest player on the team, traditionally anchored near the rim to protect the paint and finish at the basket.