USG%Usage Rate

Formula

USG% = 100 × (player FGA + 0.44 × player FTA + player TO) / (team FGA + 0.44 × team FTA + team TO)

Example

A guard with 82 FGA, 18 FTA, 12 TO on a team that totaled 410 FGA, 102 FTA, 55 TO: 100 × (82 + 7.92 + 12) / (410 + 44.88 + 55) = 100 × 101.92 / 509.88 = 20.0%.

Why it matters

USG% paired with TS% is the single most informative two-number snapshot of a scorer. It separates volume scorers (high USG, average TS) from efficient stars (high USG, high TS).

In depth

Usage Rate captures how central a player is to the offense. A 30%+ USG% means the player is the team’s primary option — typically a ball-dominant scorer. Role players sit closer to 15–20%.

ArcStat ships a simplified USG% that compares each player’s offensive plays (FGA + 0.44×FTA + TO) to their team’s total across the same games. The full Hollinger version also weights for minutes vs. team minutes; ours is simpler because we don’t always have reliable per-game minutes.

High USG% with high TS% is the mark of a star. High USG% with low TS% means a player is hurting the team by shooting too much.