Have you ever watched a basketball game on TV and wondered what some acronyms meant?
We’re aware of the common ones like BLK for block and STL for steal.
But how about AST/TO or even USG%?
Well, there are a lot of acronyms in basketball so we decided to put them all in this one handy guide for you!
What are Acronyms in Basketball?
Acronyms in basketball are short for specific stats. For example, FT% means free throw percentage, STL means steals, and BLK means block.
We see these acronyms in stat sheets and when watching basketball on TV all the time. These acronyms were made so that people can easily fit them in paper or on TV.
Just one look at an acronym and everyone will immediately know what they pertain to.
Why are Stats Important in Basketball?
Stats are important in basketball since they tell a lot of stories. For instance, you can easily see the field goal percentage by dividing the shots made by the shots attempted.
This will allow everyone to see how effective a player or a team is on different aspects. Without stats, these players can’t improve since they don’t know what to improve on.
They’re tracked so that everyoone can easily measure a basketball game or the players in terms of effectiveness.
The NBA used to track only simple stats like field goals or steals. But now, they track a lot of advanced stats so they can make a more compelling analysis.
Stats are important for everyone especially for the players and teams, so they know their strengths and weaknesses.
It shows who’s the best player in any given night and who are the superstars in a team.
But stats are just numbers at the end of the day. The goal of any team is to win games and the championship.
Stats help to provide context to each game so that teams can better prepare for the next.
But if you solely look at the stats, you’ll miss the game. Not everything is counted in the stats. One prime example of this is the hustle of the players.
Who Keeps Basketball Stats?
In professional basketball games, there are scorekeepers who keep track of the score, fouls, timeouts, and other stats.
There are also stat keepers who track all the stats of the players and the team in each game.
But in the NBA, they also use an advanced tracking system called player tracking. They use multiple cameras in different angles in all the NBA arenas.
Through this system, they can track more advanced stats that were previously manually impossible or hard to keep track of.
For instance, they can now track the total distance a player has traveled throughout the game. They can also track the touches/possessions per game, points per touch, and defensive impact.
Overall, stat tracking is a combination of human and AI efforts in most leagues today most especially the NBA.
Where Can You See Basketball Stats?
Nowadays, you’re one search away from tracking basketball stats of any game especially in professional leagues.
A lot of websites post the stats of each game from the points to steals and more advanced ones.
But for amateur basketball games, the scorekeepers are usually the ones responsible for stat tracking. They’re the only ones who can provide all the stats for the game.
But you can see the most obvious stats such as points in most games’ scoreboards.
List of all Basketball Acronyms and their Meanings
There are many acronyms in basketball that leagues use regularly. We listed down all the acronyms that are commonly used from the NBA all the way down to high school.
The acronyms are separated by the acronyms used for stats of players/teams and the game as a whole. These are the most basic stats so they can be combined or added to form a whole another acronym.
Player/Team
Acronym | Meaning |
3PT | Three-Point Field Goal |
3PA | Three-Pointers Attempted |
AST | Assist |
BLK | Block |
BS | Blocked Shots |
FG | Field Goal |
FG% | Field Goal Percentage |
FT | Free Throw |
FT-FTA | Free Throws Made – Total Free Throws Attempted |
MIN | Minutes |
MPG | Minutes per game |
PCT | Percent |
PTS | Points |
REB | Rebound |
RPG | Rebounds Per Game |
STL | Steal |
TO | Turnover |
TS% | Total Shot Percentage |
EFG% | Effective Field Goal Percentage by Team |
ORB% | Offensive Rebound Percentage by Team |
DRB% | Defensive Rebound Percentage by Team |
Defl/G | Deflections By Team |
AST/TO | Assist to Turnover Ratio by Team |
TOV% | Turnover Percentage by Team |
2nd Chance Pts | Second Chance Points by Team |
PF | Personal Fouls By Team |
PACE | Pace By Team |
Transition Pts | Transition Points by Team |
OffRtg | Offensive Rating By Team |
DefRtg | Defensive Rating By Team |
+/- | Plus/Minus of Player |
TO Ratio | Turnover Ratio by Player |
2 Pt Allow | 2FG Points Allowed by Player |
3 FG Allow | 3FG Points Allowed by Player |
USG% | Usage Percentage by Player |
Ch. Drawn | Charges Drawn by Player |
Charge | Charging Fouls by Player |
Game/Positions
Acronym | Meaning |
DIV | Division |
DNP | Did not play |
CONF | Conference |
G | Game |
GB | Games Back |
NBA | National Basketball Association |
W | Won |
C | Center |
PF | Power Forward |
SF | Small Forward |
SG | Shooting Guard |
PG | Point Guard |
Final Thoughts
Acronyms usually pertains to stats that basketball leagues track in each game. The stats tell us a lot about what went on in a game.
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