Per Player Efficiency Rating Calculator
Our basketball calculator computes per player efficiency rating instantly. Get accurate stats with historical comparisons and benchmarks.
Reviewed for accuracy by Sher, Sports Science & Nutrition Specialist
Per Player Efficiency Rating Calculator
Calculator
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Formula: PER = (PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK - FG missed - FT missed - TOV - PF) / MIN * 36
Additional inputs: Assists, Steals, Blocks, Turnovers.
Worked example — PER (per 36): 32.2 (MVP Caliber) | Game Score: 27.2 | TS%: 62.5%
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 = 30 + 10 + 7 + 2 + 1 - 10 - 1 - 3 - 2 = 34 Per minute = 34 / 38 = 0.895 Per 36 = 0.895 * 36 = 32.2 Game 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 = 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 Per minute = 10 / 32 = 0.3125 Per 36 = 0.3125 * 36 = 11.25 Game 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 = 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.
How does PER compare to other advanced basketball metrics like Win Shares and BPM?
While PER focuses on per-minute production using box score statistics, other metrics take different approaches. Win Shares estimates how many wins a player contributes to their team over a season, splitting credit between offense and defense. Box Plus-Minus (BPM) estimates a player's points above average per 100 possessions using regression analysis on box score data. VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) converts BPM to a cumulative stat. Newer metrics like RAPTOR and EPM incorporate tracking data and play-by-play information for more accurate evaluations. Each metric has trade-offs: PER is simple and intuitive but flawed, while more sophisticated metrics are harder to calculate and explain but generally provide more accurate player evaluations.
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.
What is Effective Field Goal Percentage and why is it better than regular FG%?
Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%) adjusts traditional field goal percentage to account for the extra value of three-point shots. The formula is (FGM plus 0.5 times three-pointers made) divided by FGA. This adjustment reflects the fact that a made three-pointer is worth 50 percent more than a made two-pointer, so a player shooting 33 percent from three creates the same points per shot as one shooting 50 percent from two. Without this adjustment, traditional FG% undervalues perimeter shooters. A player with a 45 percent FG% who makes many threes might actually be more efficient than one with 50 percent FG% who only takes mid-range shots. League average eFG% is typically around 52 to 53 percent.
What is Game Score and how does it summarize a single game performance?
Game Score is a simpler alternative to PER created by John Hollinger for evaluating single-game performances. The formula is: Points + 0.4(FGM) - 0.7(FGA) - 0.4(FT missed) + 0.7(ORB) + 0.3(DRB) + Steals + 0.7(Assists) + 0.7(Blocks) - 0.4(Fouls) - Turnovers. An average game produces a Game Score around 10. A Game Score above 20 represents an excellent performance, above 30 is an elite game, and above 40 is historically outstanding (achieved only a handful of times per season). The highest Game Scores in NBA history include games by Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan. Game Score is useful for quickly comparing game performances without complex pace or league adjustments.
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.
How has the use of advanced analytics changed basketball player evaluation?
Advanced analytics have fundamentally transformed how basketball teams evaluate players, make draft decisions, and construct rosters. Before the analytics revolution, evaluations relied heavily on traditional counting stats and eye test observations. Now, teams employ entire departments of analysts using tracking data from cameras installed in every NBA arena to measure player movement, shot quality, defensive positioning, and spacing impact. This has led to strategic shifts like the three-point revolution (teams now understand the mathematical superiority of three-point shots), increased emphasis on rim finishing and free throws, and the near-elimination of the mid-range jump shot. Player contracts are increasingly influenced by advanced metrics, and the all-in-one statistics like PER pioneered this shift toward data-driven decision making.
References
Reviewed for accuracy by Sher, Sports Science & Nutrition Specialist · Editorial policy
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