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Basketball PER Calculator

SportsTeam Sport Statistics
Playing time

Same span as the totals below: one game or a whole season.

Shooting

Already counted inside field goals made.

Rebounds, playmaking and defence
Estimated PER —
Hollinger tier
—
Weighted credits
—
Weighted debits
—
Net value
—

PER (player efficiency rating) condenses a box score into one per-minute number where 15 is league average. This calculator uses the linear approximation of Hollinger's formula: weighted credits minus weighted debits, divided by minutes. A 36-minute line of 10-of-20 shooting, 5 of 6 free throws, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 turnovers works out to about 29.4.

About this tool

Fantasy players, high-school and college coaches, and fans comparing two players often want a single efficiency figure without pulling league-wide pace data. This calculator takes thirteen box-score numbers for one game or a whole season and returns an estimated PER, the Hollinger tier it falls in, and the weighted credits and debits behind it. Each statistic carries a fixed weight: a made field goal adds about 85.9 points of value, a missed one subtracts 39.2, and a turnover costs 53.9. The total is divided by minutes so a bench player and a starter sit on the same scale. The limit: official PER from Basketball-Reference adjusts for team assist rate, league pace and league averages each season, so this linear version can differ from published figures by a point or two, more for players on very fast or very slow teams.

How to use it

  1. Enter minutes

    Type the minutes played over the same span as the other numbers, one game or a full season.

  2. Fill in shooting

    Enter field goals, three-pointers and free throws, made and attempted. Threes count inside field goals made.

  3. Add the rest of the box score

    Enter offensive and defensive rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers and personal fouls.

  4. Read the rating

    The estimated PER, its tier, and the credit and debit totals update as you type, with the working shown below.

Examples

36 minutes, 25 points, 8 rebounds

Minutes played
36
Field goals made
10
Field goals attempted
20
Three-pointers made
2
Free throws made
5
Free throws attempted
6
Offensive rebounds
2
Defensive rebounds
6
Assists
5
Steals
2
Blocks
1
Turnovers
3
Personal fouls
3

Result Estimated PER: 29.4
Hollinger tier: Strong MVP candidate
Weighted credits: 1,683.8
Weighted debits: 625.2
Net value: 1,058.6

  1. Missed field goals = 20 − 10 = 10; missed free throws = 6 − 5 = 1
  2. Credits = 85.910×FGM + 53.897×STL + 51.757×3PM + 46.845×FTM + 39.190×BLK + 39.190×ORB + 34.677×AST + 14.707×DRB = 1683.83
  3. Debits = 17.174×PF + 20.091×FT miss + 39.190×FG miss + 53.897×TOV = 625.204
  4. PER ≈ (1683.83 − 625.204) ÷ 36 min = 29.4

A starter shooting 10 of 20 with five assists and two steals. One big night inflates the rating; season totals settle it.

20 bench minutes, 9 points

Minutes played
20
Field goals made
3
Field goals attempted
8
Three-pointers made
1
Free throws made
2
Free throws attempted
2
Offensive rebounds
1
Defensive rebounds
3
Assists
2
Steals
1
Blocks
0
Turnovers
1
Personal fouls
2

Result Estimated PER: 16.3
Hollinger tier: Average (about 15)
Weighted credits: 609.7
Weighted debits: 284.2
Net value: 325.5

  1. Missed field goals = 8 − 3 = 5; missed free throws = 2 − 2 = 0
  2. Credits = 85.910×FGM + 53.897×STL + 51.757×3PM + 46.845×FTM + 39.190×BLK + 39.190×ORB + 34.677×AST + 14.707×DRB = 609.739
  3. Debits = 17.174×PF + 20.091×FT miss + 39.190×FG miss + 53.897×TOV = 284.195
  4. PER ≈ (609.739 − 284.195) ÷ 20 min = 16.3

A reserve going 3 of 8 lands near the league-average mark of 15.

How it is calculated

PER ≈ (85.910·FGM + 53.897·STL + 51.757·3PM + 46.845·FTM + 39.190·BLK + 39.190·ORB + 34.677·AST + 14.707·DRB − 17.174·PF − 20.091·FTmiss − 39.190·FGmiss − 53.897·TOV) ÷ MIN

FGM, 3PM, FTM
Field goals, three-pointers and free throws made
FGmiss, FTmiss
Attempts minus makes for field goals and free throws
ORB, DRB, AST, STL, BLK
Offensive and defensive rebounds, assists, steals, blocks
TOV, PF
Turnovers and personal fouls
MIN
Minutes played over the same span

John Hollinger's full PER multiplies each statistic by factors that depend on the league's pace, value of possession and team assist share, then normalises so the league average is exactly 15. The linear form freezes those factors at typical NBA values, giving one weight per statistic. Offensive rebounds and blocks weigh the same as a missed shot because each swings a possession; a defensive rebound earns far less because most misses are rebounded by the defence anyway. Three-pointers get an extra 51.8 on top of the field-goal weight for the extra point.

When not to use it

  • Comparing against official NBA PER tables, which use season-specific league adjustments.
  • Judging a defender whose value never shows up in steals or blocks.
  • Rating a player from a handful of minutes, where one game swings the figure by ten or more.

Common mistakes

  • Adding three-pointers on top of field goals made instead of counting them inside it.
  • Mixing per-game averages for the stats with season-total minutes.
  • Entering total rebounds in one box and leaving the other at zero, which changes the weights.
  • Reading a 20 from a youth or amateur game as equal to a 20 in the NBA.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good PER?

League average is set at 15. Hollinger's own scale puts 18 to 20 around a third scoring option, 22.5 to 25 at All-Star level, and above 27.5 in MVP conversation. Only a handful of seasons in NBA history finish above 30.

Why does my result differ from Basketball-Reference?

The official figure recalculates its weights every season from league pace, points per possession and the player's team assist rate, then scales the result so the league mean is 15. This linear version uses fixed weights, so expect gaps of roughly one to two points, larger on extreme-pace teams.

Can I use a single game's box score?

Yes. Enter the minutes and stats from that game. A single game gives a noisy figure though: one hot shooting night can push PER past 35, which is why analysts quote it over a season or at least a few hundred minutes.

Why is a turnover weighted so heavily?

A turnover ends a possession with no shot at all, and the opponent often gets a transition chance. At 53.9 it costs the same as a steal earns, the mirror image of the same event.

Does PER measure defence?

Only through steals, blocks and defensive rebounds. Contesting shots, rotations and keeping a man in front leave no box-score trace, so strong team defenders who rarely steal or block tend to rate below their real value.

Can the rating be negative?

Yes. If misses, turnovers and fouls outweigh the credits, the net value drops below zero. A player who goes 0 for 5 with two turnovers and a foul in 10 minutes comes out near minus 32.

Cite this tool

Using this tool in an assignment, article or report? Copy a citation, or a link for your website.

APA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. (2026, October 22). Basketball PER Calculator. Tools Directory. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://tools.milunir.com/sports/team-sport-statistics/basketball-per-calculator/

MLA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Basketball PER Calculator.” Tools Directory, 22 Oct. 2026, https://tools.milunir.com/sports/team-sport-statistics/basketball-per-calculator/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Basketball PER Calculator.” Tools Directory. Last modified October 22, 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://tools.milunir.com/sports/team-sport-statistics/basketball-per-calculator/.

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