Shooting percentage is a soccer player’s percentage of shots that are goals.
A higher shooting percentage is a sign of a soccer player whose shots are more likely to go in the net.
Other sports with a goalie such as ice hockey, field hockey, lacrosse, and water polo use it.
Formula – How to calculate shooting percentage
Shooting Percentage = Goals Scored ÷ Shots on Goal
- A “goal” is a shot that goes in the net. Include empty-net goals. Do not include goals from a shootout. Include empty-net goals.
- A “shot” is an action 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), shots that miss the net or hit the goalpost (missed shots), or shots from a shootout. Include empty-net shots.
Example
A player makes 78 shots on goal, and in that time, scores 22 goals.
22 goals ÷ 78 shots = 0.282.
This player’s shooting percentage is 0.282, or 28.2%.
Sources and More Resources
- Wikipedia – Football Player – 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.