Calculator
What is Save Percentage?
Save percentage is the percentage of saves a goalkeeper makes to the number of shots made on the goal.
A higher save percentage is a sign of a goalkeeper that allows few shots into the net. A lower save percentage is the sign of a goalkeeper that allows a lot of goals into the net.
It is a common goalkeeper statistic and also used in ice hockey, lacrosse, field hockey, water polo.
Formula – How to calculate save percentage
Save Percentage = Saves ÷ Shots on Goal
- A “save” is a shot on the goal that the goaltender stops. Do not include saves from a shootout.
- A “shot” is a shot that directs the ball towards the net. It is either stopped by the goaltender or goes in the net. Do not include shots blocked by a non-goalie player (blocked shots). Do not include shots that miss the net or hit the goalpost (missed shots). Do not include shots from a shootout.
- Do not include empty-net shots to calculate a goalkeeper’s statistics as they are not on the field of play. Include empty-net shots to calculate a team’s statistics.
Example
A goalie faces 219 shots and makes 155 saves.
155 saves ÷ 219 shots = 0.708.
This goalie’s save percentage is 0.708, or 70.8%.
Sources and more resources
- Wikipedia –Save Percentage & Goalkeeper (Association Football) – Wikipedia’s definitions of soccer terms on this page.
- Rules of Soccer from the IFAB, FIFA, the Premiere League, MLS Soccer, and the NCAA – Includes details on what counts as a goal in each league.
- Player stats for the Premiere League (UK), La Liga, Bundesliga, and MLS Soccer.
- Dummies.com – Soccer for dummies cheat sheet – A simple introduction to soccer.
- FIFA Grassroots (for kids) – An introduction and grassroots guide to soccer.