Per Player Efficiency Rating Calculator
Our basketball calculator computes per player efficiency rating instantly. Get accurate stats with historical comparisons and benchmarks.
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This is the simplified PER formula. The full Hollinger formula includes pace adjustments, league-average normalization, and different weights for each statistical category. The result is normalized so the league average equals 15.0 per 36 minutes.
Last reviewed: December 2025
Worked Examples
Example 1: All-Star Level Performance
Example 2: Average Starter Performance
Background & Theory
The Per (player Efficiency Rating) applies the following established principles and formulas. Sports statistics and performance metrics represent one of the most data-rich domains of applied mathematics available to the general public. Baseball, in particular, has developed an exceptionally dense vocabulary of calculated metrics. Earned run average (ERA) quantifies a pitcher's effectiveness as (earned runs × 9) / innings pitched, normalising performance to a nine-inning standard regardless of how many complete games were pitched. WHIP, or walks and hits per inning pitched, is computed as (walks + hits) / innings pitched and provides a complementary measure of how frequently a pitcher allows baserunners. Batting average, one of the oldest statistics in the sport, is simply hits / at-bats, though more modern metrics such as on-base percentage and slugging percentage have largely supplanted it as primary performance indicators. The NFL passer rating formula is considerably more complex, combining completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown rate, and interception rate into a composite score scaled to a 0–158.3 range. Golf handicap calculation, now governed by the World Handicap System introduced in 2020, uses a Handicap Differential formula applied to the best 8 of a player's most recent 20 score differentials, with adjustments for course rating and slope. The Elo rating system, originally developed by physicist Arpad Elo for chess ranking in the 1960s, has become a widely adopted framework for competitive ranking in sports ranging from football to table tennis. It updates each player's rating after every match based on the margin of expected versus actual result. In endurance sports, pace calculation converts total time to a per-mile or per-kilometre rate, informing training intensity and race strategy. In cycling, power-to-weight ratio (watts per kilogram) is the primary determinant of climbing performance and is central to both professional race analysis and amateur fitness tracking. Fantasy sports scoring systems synthesise multiple individual statistics into aggregate point totals, requiring participants to understand the relative value of different performance categories across sports.
History
The history behind the Per (player Efficiency Rating) traces back through the following developments. Organised athletic competition has roots extending to ancient Greece, where the Olympic Games were held at Olympia beginning around 776 BCE. These early games were embedded in religious observance and civic identity, featuring events such as sprinting, wrestling, and the pentathlon. The codification of modern sport rules accelerated dramatically in 19th century Britain, where industrialisation created both the leisure time and the institutional infrastructure for organised competition. The Football Association formalised the rules of association football in 1863, and similar governing bodies for cricket, rugby, tennis, and athletics followed in subsequent decades. Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator inspired by the English model of sport as character-building, campaigned to revive the Olympic Games as a modern international institution. The first modern Summer Olympics were held in Athens in 1896, establishing the template for international multi-sport competition that has continued to the present. FIFA, the international governing body for association football, was founded in Paris in 1904 with seven member nations. The serious statistical analysis of baseball, later termed sabermetrics, was pioneered by writers and analysts including Bill James beginning in the late 1970s. James self-published his Baseball Abstract annuals starting in 1977, introducing rigorous empirical methods to a domain previously dominated by traditional counting statistics and subjective scouting. His work influenced a generation of analysts and front-office executives. The publication of Michael Lewis's Moneyball in 2003, documenting the Oakland Athletics' 2002 season and their use of on-base percentage and other undervalued metrics, brought sports analytics to mainstream attention. The subsequent analytics revolution reshaped hiring practices and game strategy across professional sports leagues. Fantasy sports, which require participants to engage directly with statistical outputs, grew from a hobby practised by a few thousand enthusiasts in the 1980s into a multi-billion dollar industry by the 2010s, with tens of millions of participants across football, baseball, basketball, and other sports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Formula
PER = (PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK - FG missed - FT missed - TOV - PF) / MIN * 36
This is the simplified PER formula. The full Hollinger formula includes pace adjustments, league-average normalization, and different weights for each statistical category. The result is normalized so the league average equals 15.0 per 36 minutes.
Worked Examples
Example 1: All-Star Level Performance
Problem: Calculate PER for a player with 30 pts, 10-20 FG, 8-9 FT, 2 3PM, 2 ORB, 8 DRB, 7 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TOV, 2 PF in 38 minutes.
Solution: Raw PER = PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK - FG missed - FT missed - TOV - PF\n= 30 + 10 + 7 + 2 + 1 - 10 - 1 - 3 - 2 = 34\nPer minute = 34 / 38 = 0.895\nPer 36 = 0.895 * 36 = 32.2\nGame Score = 30 + 0.4(10) - 0.7(20) - 0.4(1) + 0.7(2) + 0.3(8) + 2 + 0.7(7) + 0.7(1) - 0.4(2) - 3\n= 30 + 4 - 14 - 0.4 + 1.4 + 2.4 + 2 + 4.9 + 0.7 - 0.8 - 3 = 27.2
Result: PER (per 36): 32.2 (MVP Caliber) | Game Score: 27.2 | TS%: 62.5%
Example 2: Average Starter Performance
Problem: Calculate PER for a player with 15 pts, 6-14 FG, 2-3 FT, 1 3PM, 1 ORB, 4 DRB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 2 TOV, 3 PF in 32 minutes.
Solution: Raw PER = 15 + 5 + 3 + 1 + 0 - 8 - 1 - 2 - 3 = 10\nPer minute = 10 / 32 = 0.3125\nPer 36 = 0.3125 * 36 = 11.25\nGame Score = 15 + 0.4(6) - 0.7(14) - 0.4(1) + 0.7(1) + 0.3(4) + 1 + 0.7(3) + 0 - 0.4(3) - 2\n= 15 + 2.4 - 9.8 - 0.4 + 0.7 + 1.2 + 1 + 2.1 + 0 - 1.2 - 2 = 9.0
Result: PER (per 36): 11.3 (Rotation Player) | Game Score: 9.0 | TS%: 50.8%
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and who created it?
Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is an advanced basketball statistic created by ESPN columnist John Hollinger that attempts to distill all of a player's contributions into a single number. It was designed to capture the net per-minute productivity of a player, taking into account positive contributions like scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and blocks, while penalizing negative actions like missed shots, turnovers, and fouls. The league average PER is set to 15.0 each season through a pace adjustment factor. PER was one of the first widely adopted all-in-one metrics in basketball analytics and remains popular despite some known limitations in how it values different types of contributions.
How is PER calculated and what statistics does it use?
The full PER calculation is quite complex, involving pace adjustments and league-average normalization. The simplified version sums positive contributions (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) and subtracts negative ones (missed field goals, missed free throws, turnovers, personal fouls). The result is divided by minutes played and normalized to a per-36-minute basis. The complete Hollinger formula weights each statistical category differently, applies team pace factors, and uses league averages for calibration. For example, assists are weighted at about two-thirds value, three-pointers get a bonus, and the formula accounts for the opportunity cost of shot attempts. The final result is scaled so the league average equals 15.0.
What are the benchmarks for different PER levels in the NBA?
PER values in the NBA follow a well-established scale for evaluating player quality. A PER above 30 is considered MVP-caliber performance, achieved by players like LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Giannis Antetokounmpo in their best seasons. PER between 25 and 30 indicates All-Star level play. A range of 20 to 25 represents a strong starter or borderline All-Star. PER from 15 to 20 indicates an average to above-average player, with 15 being the league average by definition. PER from 11 to 15 suggests a below-average or bench player. Below 11 indicates a player performing at or near replacement level, typically getting limited minutes.
What are the main criticisms and limitations of the PER statistic?
PER has several well-known limitations that modern analysts acknowledge. It tends to overvalue volume scorers and players with high usage rates while undervaluing efficient role players and defensive specialists. The metric heavily rewards scoring and barely accounts for defensive contributions since steals and blocks are crude defensive measures. It penalizes missed shots but does not fully account for the value of creating shots for teammates. PER also struggles with players who contribute primarily through off-ball movement, screen-setting, or floor spacing. The pace adjustment can sometimes produce misleading results for players on unusually fast or slow teams. More modern metrics like Box Plus/Minus, RAPTOR, and EPM address many of these shortcomings.
What is True Shooting Percentage and how does it relate to scoring efficiency?
True Shooting Percentage (TS%) is an advanced efficiency metric that accounts for the different values of two-point field goals, three-point field goals, and free throws in a single measure. It is calculated as points divided by 2 times (field goal attempts plus 0.44 times free throw attempts). The 0.44 factor accounts for the fact that not all free throw attempts use a full possession (and-one plays, technical free throws, three-shot fouls). A league average TS% is typically around 56 to 57 percent. Elite scorers often achieve 60 percent or higher. TS% is generally considered superior to basic field goal percentage because it rewards players who get to the free throw line and hit three-pointers efficiently.
How do minutes played affect PER and player evaluation?
Minutes played significantly impact how PER should be interpreted. Since PER is a rate statistic (per-minute performance), players with very limited minutes can sometimes post artificially high or low PER values due to small sample sizes. A player who plays 5 excellent minutes can have a very high PER that does not reflect sustainable production over a full game. This is why analysts typically require a minimum minutes threshold (often 1000 to 1500 minutes per season) before drawing meaningful conclusions from PER. Additionally, per-36-minute projections assume a player could maintain their efficiency over more minutes, which is often not the case because fatigue, tougher defensive assignments, and increased usage typically reduce efficiency.
References
Reviewed by Sher, Sports Science & Nutrition Specialist · Editorial policy