Keeping track of the score in basketball games is something that every person involved in the sport does, even if you are just an avid fan watching the match.
But basketball also includes detailed statistical categories other than the points a team compile when they successfully put the ball into the hoop. If you are tasked to be a scorekeeper, you also have to tally rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers and other important numbers essential in the rules of basketball.
This is not just one of those easy drills as the stats has to be accurate and should not include any discrepancy. If you are new to filling out a basketball stat sheet or you just want to refresh your knowledge of it, then read on as we go through the basics of basketball statistics.
Writing down the players' names and numbers
The first category to fill out consists of the names of the players and their jersey numbers, as well as the names of the coaches. You write down their names on the longest boxes you can see on the stat sheet, then place their numbers on their corresponding small boxes. The boxes for the coaches' names are usually located at the top, right beside the names of the teams. You have to be accurate in writing down their numbers because the referees will do a hand signal of a player's number when he commits a foul.
Moreover, the number printed at the back of a player's jersey is usually the largest one you can see on his uniform, making it easier for you to tally his points when he scores. In terms of the sequence of the players' names, you can list them down numerically so that you can find them on the stat sheet more quickly. After that, you should mark with an asterisk the starting line-up of each team or basically the first five players fielded in by the coaches. You can do this first category of the stat sheet by yourself, or you can ask the coaches or the managers to write them down for you.
Marking Change of Possesion on a Basketball Stat Sheet
Another important non-statistical category in basketball stat sheets is marking the change of possessions. This occurs in jump-ball situations, but there is a big difference between amateur and professional leagues. In amateur leagues, teams only jump for the ball at the start of the game and to begin an overtime period.
If there is a situation when there is a tie-up for the ball, the referees will refer to the scorekeeper to see which team will be rewarded with the possession. That is the main reason why you should be careful in marking this category. It is usually located at the top right corner of basketball stat sheets, in which you encircle the squad who won the first possession.
After that, you then just draw a line through each squad so that you would easily know who will be rewarded with the next possession.
Keeping track of team and individual player points
Now, we dive deep on most vital stat: points. It is the primary reason why we have a stat sheet in basketball. Two essential things to consider is that points are separated into two: team points and individual player points. You record team points through the Running Score section. When a player scores, you just put a slash mark in the corresponding box to keep track of teams' total points. As soon as a quarter ends, you will put the teams' total points in the Quarter Score section. After you record each made basket in the Running Score section, you then proceed to the players' points section. When a player makes a two-point basket, you just write "2" in the box. You write "3" when he successfully hits a three-pointer, then "1" for each free throw made. The individual scores are divided by the four quarters, which means that you have to record somebody's stats under the corresponding quarter.
Recording team and individual player fouls and timeouts
Yet, that is not where basketball stat sheets end. The next critical category you have to track is the fouls. Just like in the scoring section, there are team fouls and players' fouls. When a referee calls a foul, immediately record it at the teams' fouls section so that you would know if they hit the penalty situation. As for the individual fouls, you can see the boxes of the personal fouls beside the scoring section for the players. If someone commits a personal foul, put a slash mark on the "P1" box in the section. If he reaches five fouls, you have to inform the referees because it means that he has fouled out of the game and is not allowed to continue playing. You can also see the technical foul boxes in this section. Should someone be called for a technical foul, put a slash mark on the "T1" box. Bear in mind that a technical foul is also counted on the five allowed fouls for each player, and two technical fouls means that he is ejected from the game. Also, be reminded that timeouts are recorded in the stat sheet. This category is located at the Teams are usually allowed seven timeouts in games, and two timeouts for every quarter. Make sure you got this right so that coaches would know if they have already used up their allowed timeouts.
Tallying assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, turnovers and field goal attempts
Then, there are the other individual basketball stats that you have to keep track of if the tournament's committee deems it necessary. Usually, basketball stat sheets just record points and fouls under the individual categories. However, there is also the possibility that you need to mark down a player's assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, turnovers and field goal makes and misses. Today's coaches have been very mindful of these statistics as a helpful tool in figuring out the strengths, weaknesses and tendencies of their hoopers. But the thing is you cannot track all these stats alone so you have to ask help from two or three more people to watch the plays and mark down the stats.
We start with tracking each player's assists. Usually, point guards are the ones who tally the most assists but basketball has become a positionless game so everyone has the chance to dish out assists. When a player passes the ball to his teammate, who then successfully scores, you immediately mark a slash mark on the assists category of that hooper who passed the ball. Another important stat in basketball is the rebounds. Coaches would always say that a team controls games by controlling the rebounds. As the stats tracker, you have to be alert in identifying which player made the rebound, whether it be on offense or defense. Same with the assists, you just have to put a slash mark at the rebounds category and then just add it up for the total number of rebounds after the game. The next stat categories are defensive stats such as steals and blocks. These defensive stats act as excellent barometer for how players exert tremendous effort on defense, something that has been very underrated because most aspiring basketball athletes only want to score. Again, whenever a defensive player steals the ball or disrupts the passing lane and tips the ball to his teammate, put another slash mark on his corresponding steals section. On the other hand, if defensive players successfully blocks a shot from the opposing team, you just have to do the slash mark you did in the assists, rebounds and steals category. Coaches put a lot of emphasis in their squad's defense, so expect them to really dive deep in looking at their players' steals and blocks tally.
Then their are the other stats like field goal attempts and turnovers. Coaches would want to know how efficient their players are shooting the basketball, which is the main reason why you also have to tally how many times a hooper has shot the ball. Shots are divided by three sections: two-point shots, three-pointers and free throws. Also be reminded that you don't just keep track of how often a player shoots the ball. You should also mark how many times he has successfully put the basketball into the hoop. Through this, his coaches will be able to know how well he is shooting the basketball. Lastly, you also have to track players' turnovers as this is another barometer that tells how teams are executing their offensive plays during the games. When a player is handling the basketball then the defender from the opposing team steals it from him, that is automatically a tally in his turnovers count. Offensive fouls are also counted as turnovers so make sure to ask referees what kind of fouls they are calling.
How to Take Statistics at a Basketball Game
Keeping statistics at a basketball game requires a basic understanding of the sport, its rules and the general statistical guidelines. Points scored, fouls, timeouts and game details can be kept in a scoreboard. Keeping assists, turnovers, rebounds, blocked shots and steals requires separate charts -- and multiple statisticians to do the job correctly.
Field Goals
Simply put a 2 or a 3 next to a player's name for a 2- or 3-point shot attempt, then circle the digit if the shot goes in. Or you can compile a shot chart showing the location of each attempt. Record shots by putting the player's number on the appropriate spot on a court diagram. Circle the number if the player makes the shot. Clearly mark 3-point shots outside the 3-point arc on the diagram. Award attempts for clear shots at the basket, even those that are blocked. Award attempts for controlled tips. If a player is fouled in the act of shooting, do not award an attempt unless the shot goes in. Do not award shot attempts for desperate heaves before the buzzer. Award an attempt and make if the official calls defensive goaltending.
Free Throws
Chart free throw attempts by marking a 1 next to a player's name for an attempt. Circle the 1 for a made attempt. For 1-and-1 attempts, use 1+1. If the player misses the front end, there is no second try so mark it as 1+. Do not award a free throw attempt if a shooting team lane violation nullifies the shot.
Passing, Ballhandling
Use one chart by marking an "A" next to a player's name for an assist and "TO" next to the name for turnover. Award assists for passes that directly lead to made 2- or 3-point baskets. Record turnovers whenever a player loses possession of the ball out of bounds or to the other team. If a player throws an errant pass that deflects off a teammate, give the turnover to the passer. Record turnovers for any ballhandling or boundary violation that gives the ball to the opponent. Also record turnovers for offensive fouls committed while in possession of the ball.
Rebounding
Basketball statisticians commonly record offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and total rebounds. Use separate columns for offensive and defensive rebounds and record them with marks next to the player's name. Award an offensive rebound when an offensive player retrieves a missed shot, directs a missed shot to a teammate, controls a tip-in attempt at the basket or attempts a put-back shot. Award a defensive rebound when a defender retrieves a missed shot attempt or directs a missed shot attempt directly to a teammate.
The primary defensive statistics are blocked shots and steals. Award a blocked shot when a defensive player clearly bats or deflects a shot attempt and causes it to miss. If the shot goes in despite the deflection, do not award a blocked shot. The defender does not need to recover the ball to earn a blocked shot. Award a steal when a defender swipes a dribble, takes the ball from an offensive player's hands or intercepts a pass. The defender must recover the ball or move it directly to a teammate to get the steal. Mark blocked shorts and steals in columns next to the players' names. Since there are not usually many blocked shots and steals in a game, you could simply list them by player number in separate columns as they occur in the game.
Basketball statistics: where to look and how to apply?
Basketball statistics play an important role. It helps analysts and bettors to learn patterns, current trends, latest trends, to study all the indicators of teams and athletes, to predict the possible result of the match and the total. Many novice players are wondering, where to look for statistics for basketball , what parameters exist and how to use them. The answers to all these questions are available in this material.
What about statistics in basketball?
As you know, the team consists of the main five and reserve performers. Each basketball player plays in his own position. Two athletes are assigned to weak zones, so that at any moment the coach has the opportunity to strengthen the position by releasing fresh blood.
There are three positions in basketball:
Forward.
Center.
Protector.
Each performer has certain skills, the application of which on the site leads to a set of indicators. They determine the player's level and relate to statistics:
Glasses.
Gears.
Interceptions.
Block shots.
Rebounds.
Losses.
Fouls.
Free throws.
Implementation of 2 and 3-point shots.
Basketball statistics.
Where to looking for?
There are really a lot of useful sites with statistics on basketball games on the Internet. We tried to choose for our readers the most effective projects that have been operating on the Web for a long time and provide users with reliable information. In addition, statistics are also provided by legal bookmakers. Which of the bookmakers offers the best line and extensive list, read here.
Sports.ru and NBA Stats
The Sports.ru domain has been launched since 1998. This is a sports publishing house that reviews sports in all its manifestations. More than 7 million users visit the portal per month. Relevant materials are published as quickly as possible so that readers are aware of updates from the world of sports.
Ordinary registered users have the opportunity to create their own blog and write about anything. All sports disciplines are covered. Not only news is added, but also interesting collections, polls, notes, videos, etc. In addition, a separate section dedicated to the NBA has been introduced. Most likely, this is a page with statistics from the official supplier - the National Basketball League website, that is, the information here is as accurate as possible. If you do not want to visit the aforementioned Russian-language portal, you can immediately go to the link: stats.nba.com.
These are not just numbers, signs, symbols. The second column is the basketball players. The third is the team they play for. It's three letters because it's an abbreviated name. For example, POR - Portland Trail Blazers, ATL - Atlanta Hawks, DAL - Dallas Mavericks, MIN - Minnesota Timberwolves, etc. The fourth column is the number of games played (G - Games). Fifth - matches in the starting lineup (GS - Games Started). Now let's take a closer look at other points:
PPG - Points Per Game - Points per game. Other sites may have the abbreviation PTS, which stands for points (points).
RPG - Rebounds Per Game.
APG - Assists Per Game - Assists.
MPG – Minutes Per Game – Minutes played.
EFF - Player Efficiency Rating - Player efficiency rating.
FG – Field goal percentage
3P – 3-point – Percentage of 3-point shots made.
FT - Free Throw Percentage - The percentage of free throws converted.
DEF - Players Defensive Impact - The effectiveness of defensive actions.
SPG - Steals Per Game - Interceptions.
BPG - Blocks Per Game - Blocks (block shots).
PF - Personal fouls - Personal fouls.
It is possible to use a filter by statistical indicators. For example, you need to determine the TOP-5 best basketball players in the league by rebounds, etc.
This is not a complete list of statistical parameters. Only the main ones that are important when predicting basketball matches. There are also additional elements. A complete glossary is available on Wikipedia or on the official NBA website. It is very important for novice bettors to understand the main indicators, as well as to watch live matches in order to understand what the essence of the game is.
Annabet and 24score
Two very similar projects. Both cover the results and statistics for several sports at once:
Football.
Basketball.
Hockey.
Tennis.
Handball.
Baseball.
Volleyball.
NFL.
Website 24score is a more advanced site. In addition to results, standings, face-to-face confrontations and upcoming matches, the resource offers statistics on totals, halves, and quarters.
Dozens of championships from different countries are available, as well as top tournaments: Euroleague, NBA, VTB United League, World Championship, etc.
A less popular and less popular project is AnnaBet . There are plenty of championships, but there is much less useful information for those who bet on basketball. True, there is one useful feature - a graph that displays the current game form of the teams.
MSN Sport
The project was implemented on the Microsoft News platform. Two sections related to basketball are available to readers and forecasters:
NBA.
Euroleague.
What the site owners offer:
Results.
Calendar.
Current news.
Detailed team and player statistics (NBA only).
Convenient filter by statistical indicators. Moreover, the entire abbreviation has been translated into Russian, and when you hover over the desired element, the full transcript is displayed. For example, SBI - made shots from the field, %SB - the percentage of free throws.
SlamDunk
Another useful basketball resource. The project has been operating since 2000. Updates continue to this day. Both Russian and world basketball, NBA, women's basketball are covered. Here you will find:
News.
Video.
Discussion topics on the forum.
Tables.
Results of previous meetings.
Calendar of upcoming games.
Statistics on tournaments and basketball players.
For which competitions the "Statistics" section is provided:
Euroleague.
WBT United League.
NBA.
What indicators are available for analysis:
Points.
Rebounds.
Gears.
Interceptions.
Block shots.
Number of minutes played.
This information is enough to make a competent forecast for the basketball confrontation.
Sofascore
Online resource SofaScore provides users with a lot of useful information:
More than 70 basketball leagues.
Statistics for all tournaments.
Online results.
Line-ups.
The data is updated automatically. Add a championship to your favorites and keep an eye on what's happening in the regular season or playoffs.
The site is filled with requested information. For example, select the match you are interested in and in the "Statistics" section you will find not only the number of blocked shots and assists, but also other interesting indicators, for example, the number of timeouts, whether there was overtime, how many points the teams scored, how many were in the lead in total separately hosts and guests, rebounds in attack and defense, etc.
Statistics on betting sites
Very often, players do not have to use third-party resources. By choosing a reputable and high-quality bookmaker, a person gets at his disposal all possible betting tools. These include sections "Results", "Statistics", the "Bet Buyback" function, live video broadcasts, bonuses, promotions and much more. We are interested in statistics. It is available on the websites of most legal betting companies. To get to this section, you must select the item of the same name in the main menu. We analyzed the sections of statistics from different bookmakers and formed a bookmaker rating that provides detailed statistics, and not just the result of games and the standings:
1xbet.
Match Center BC Liga Stavok.
Marathon.
Three bookmakers at once have weaker (much less useful statistical information) and the same software that produces statistics:
888.ru
PariMatch.
Olymp.
The same amount of information, but on a different engine, is offered by the FonBet bookmaker.
Conclusion. How to make a basketball prediction based on statistics?
It's time to sum up the intermediate results and answer the question of how to make a competent forecast for a basketball game, having so many useful resources in hand. It is necessary to compare the statistical indicators of the two teams, find out about the current form, the presence of motivation, previous results, face-to-face confrontations, and also thoroughly study the line-ups of the teams.
It is important for defensemen to consider rebounds, interceptions, blocks, turnovers and fouls. For attackers - the implementation of shots from the field, the implementation of free throws, assists, fouls and losses. For centers it is important to consider everything, but the most important thing is the accuracy and efficiency of the transfer.
Such an analysis requires a lot of free time, but this approach will allow you to form the most objective and accurate forecast for basketball.
5, February 2020
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Hello! This is the second material from the series “How to win at basketball betting”. In the first part, we analyzed questions how to choose a bookmaker for basketball bets and considered useful statistical resources. Also there you can find a translation and decoding of the main basketball statistical terms. Today we will talk about the most popular leagues and the basics of analyzing basketball matches.
The best basketball leagues to bet on
NBA is the world's premier basketball league. Without exaggeration, the best championship in terms of the level of performers, entertainment, and the conditions for cappers are the most attractive here.
Lines in the NBA are always maximally scheduled, almost all bookmakers have a huge selection of bets and outcomes. Margin is also very nice - from 2-3% on the main line . In some bookmakers, for example, Marathon and Leon you can often find promotional zero margin on the main outcomes of individual matches.
There is also a huge amount of statistics on the NBA. Americans love to keep a record of all sports data and, if desired, you can find any statistical calculations for this league, up to the most exotic options.
If you still can’t beat the NBA line, you can look at other American leagues - NCAA (student championship), WNBA (women's tournament), G-League (NBA development league). Capper conditions there are noticeably worse, but you can also find a lot of statistics.
Euroleague is the second most popular basketball tournament in the world. This is an analogue of the football Champions League - the annual competition of the best European clubs. Here, too, the conditions are quite attractive for cappers - a wide painting, low margin and good limits. But there is much less material for analyzing matches; not a single league can compare with the NBA in this regard.
Also noteworthy is the Eurocup competition, the second most prestigious European club tournament. Of the national championships, the most interesting for Russian bettors are the Russian Championship Unified VTB League , as well as the championships of Spain, France, China, the Philippines, Greece, Turkey.
How to analyze a basketball game
For example, let's analyze today's only NBA game between Milwaukee and Atlanta. It was the first match of the series, it is especially difficult to predict, but let's take a chance.
Lineups
You need to start the analysis of any game with an analysis of the characters. Basketball has a huge number of injuries and just minor injuries. Many of them can significantly adjust the line for the match and your definition of probabilities. The first step is to obtain reliable information about the formulations.
Next, you need to understand how the players who are absent today affect the game of the teams. If you are in the topic of the league, then it will not be difficult to figure it out, the brain will automatically give the correct answers. If you are not yet very familiar with the league, then look at the individual statistics and current form of the absent players to assess their contribution to the success of the team.
The Hawks have some roster problems - Werter and Bogdanovich . But the first one is likely to play, and the second one is not in the best condition now to take it seriously. Yes, and he can still play (and played in the end).
Most often, team losses are already reflected in the betting lines. The exception is very fresh news, and if you have up-to-date information, you can get ahead of individual slow beeches. In the same NBA, I do this regularly, having access to paid resources on injured players.
Digits
The second step is to calculate the expected score for the match. To do this, it is enough to calculate the arithmetic mean between the attacking effectiveness ( offrtg ) of one team and the defensive effectiveness ( defrtg ) of the other. If the game pace of the teams ( pace ) is very different, then these numbers should be brought to a common denominator.
Since this is the playoffs, only postseason numbers are taken into account. Although, by the way, in the regular season there is about the same difference. The pace of the teams is also about the same, about 97.6 possessions per game. Sum (108.5 + 107.7) / 2 = 108.1 . This is the expected score for Milwaukee. Further, we consider (108.6 + 102.8) / 2 = 105.7 - this is the expected score of Atlanta.
In most cases this will roughly match the betting line in terms of individual totals , total total and points difference (basic handicap). But sometimes it won't, and that's exactly what we need.
We see that the bookmaker sets a handicap of 8 points, and the total total is 12 points higher than expected. If we see such a discrepancy, this is a signal that in this match you can find value . As we found out, the teams have no critical fresh losses. Accordingly, now our task is to figure out why bookmakers give such a serious difference with the average numbers.
To do this, let's clarify the performance of the teams by three factors:
In the last 5-10 matches;
Matched this season;
In similar conditions (at home, with similar teams, etc. ).
The more factors from the third point we analyze, the more accurate the overall indicator will be. In total, after the calculation, we get average numbers of about 115 - 110 , which makes the total quite adequate, despite the lower numbers of teams on average for the playoffs. Individual totals also approximately coincide with these data - 116.5 and 108.5 . But you can look for value in the difference, because we still have a decent gap of 3 points, which is quite a lot for such a market.
It is useful to view the game statistics of teams in previous matches. First of all, the following are important: the overall implementation of shots, the implementation of three-point shots, points after the losses of the opponent and the losses themselves, points after rebounds in the attack and the OREB themselves, the number of free throws.
As you can see, “Hawks” is close in every important component, and even better in some (for example, losses, free throws).
Trends
Let's check the trends to see how Atlanta keeps a head start in similar conditions according to teamrankings:
Total: 47-36-1 ;
Playoff 2021: 8-4 ;
Away: 21-21-1 ;
Underdog: 23-20 ;
Traveling dog: 15-12 ;
After victory: 27-10-1 ;
Against East: 29-24-1 .
Also (based on covers.com): 4-1 in recent away matches against teams with a win percentage of 60%+, 10-4 in the last 14 games, 10-4 in matches against teams with a win percentage of over 50. Also, the Hawks won 12 handicaps in 15 extreme personals in Milwaukee. Excellent trends, most of which are above the 60% mark, which is more than enough.
At the same time, Milwaukee's situational handicap trends are terrible and all this speaks to our bet's plus. You also need to take into account visual factors - how the team leaders behave and feel, who needs a victory more, and who has already jumped above his head and wants to rest.