← Back to Athletele

Sports stats glossary

Every column in an Athletele stat table, explained in plain English. Basketball and hockey figures are shown as per-season totals or per-game averages depending on the stat; football and baseball figures are season totals. If a shorthand on the table ever throws you, this is the page to keep open in another tab.

NBA — basketball

Most NBA figures are per-game averages for that season (points, rebounds, assists), while shooting stats are shown both as makes/attempts and as a percentage.

Abbr.MeaningWhat it tells you
AgeAge during the seasonPlaces the year in a career arc.
GGames playedAvailability and role that year.
GSGames startedStarter vs. bench player.
MPMinutes per gameHow much they were on the floor.
FG / FGAField goals made / attemptedShot volume from the floor.
FG%Field-goal percentageOverall shooting efficiency.
3P / 3PAThree-pointers made / attemptedVolume from beyond the arc — heavy volume skews modern.
3P%Three-point percentageOutside-shooting accuracy.
2P / 2PATwo-pointers made / attemptedInside and mid-range volume.
2P%Two-point percentageEfficiency on twos.
eFG%Effective field-goal percentageShooting efficiency that credits threes for the extra point.
FT / FTAFree throws made / attemptedHow often they got to the line.
FT%Free-throw percentageAccuracy from the line.
ORB / DRB / TRBOffensive / defensive / total reboundsRebounding profile — bigs post high TRB.
ASTAssistsPlaymaking — high for guards.
STLStealsPerimeter defense and activity.
BLKBlocksRim protection — high for centers.
TOVTurnoversBall-handling load and mistakes.
PFPersonal foulsHow physical or foul-prone they were.
PTSPoints per gameThe headline scoring number.

NFL — football

Football lines are season totals. Which columns are filled tells you the position at a glance: passing for quarterbacks, receiving for receivers and tight ends, rushing for running backs.

Abbr.MeaningWhat it tells you
PosPositionQB, RB, WR, or TE.
GGames playedAvailability that season.
PassAttPass attemptsQuarterback volume.
PassYdsPassing yardsThe core quarterback number.
PassTDPassing touchdownsScoring production through the air.
INTInterceptions thrownTurnovers by a passer.
RushAttRushing attemptsCarries — running-back workload.
RushYdsRushing yardsGround production.
RushTDRushing touchdownsScoring on the ground.
RecReceptionsCatches — receiver and tight-end volume.
RecYdsReceiving yardsThe core receiver number.
RecTDReceiving touchdownsScoring through the air as a target.

Athletele covers the skill positions — quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end — where these stats tell a clear story.

MLB — baseball

Baseball splits into two very different stat lines. Hitters and pitchers show different columns, which is usually the first thing to notice.

Hitting

Abbr.MeaningWhat it tells you
AgeAge during the seasonWhere the year sits in the career.
GGames playedEveryday player vs. part-timer.
ABAt-batsPlate volume for the season.
RRuns scoredHow often they came around to score.
HHitsTotal hits on the year.
2B / 3BDoubles / triplesExtra-base hits and gap power.
HRHome runsPower output — the headline slugging number.
RBIRuns batted inRun production.
SB / CSStolen bases / caught stealingSpeed and base-running aggression.
BBWalks (bases on balls)Plate discipline.
SOStrikeoutsHow often they struck out.
AVGBatting averageHits per at-bat — pure contact.
OBPOn-base percentageHow often they reached base overall.
SLGSlugging percentageTotal bases per at-bat — power.
OPSOn-base plus sluggingOBP + SLG; a quick all-in-one bat rating.

Pitching

Abbr.MeaningWhat it tells you
G / GSGames / games startedStarter vs. reliever role.
W / LWins / lossesTraditional decision record.
SVSavesCloser usage — high SV means bullpen ace.
IPInnings pitchedWorkload for the season.
HHits allowedContact given up.
EREarned runsRuns charged to the pitcher.
BBWalks allowedControl.
SOStrikeoutsSwing-and-miss stuff.
ERAEarned run averageEarned runs per nine innings — lower is better.
WHIPWalks + hits per inning pitchedBase-runners allowed per inning — lower is better.

NHL — hockey

Like baseball, hockey splits into skaters and goalies, and their stat lines look nothing alike.

Skaters

Abbr.MeaningWhat it tells you
GPGames playedAvailability that season.
GGoalsFinishing — high for snipers.
AAssistsPlaymaking.
PTSPoints (goals + assists)Total offensive output — the headline number.
PIMPenalty minutesHow physical or penalty-prone they were.
+/-Plus-minusGoal differential while on the ice.
SOGShots on goalShot volume and shooting tendency.

Goalies

Abbr.MeaningWhat it tells you
GPGames playedStarter vs. backup workload.
W / LWins / lossesTraditional record.
OTLOvertime lossesLosses that reached overtime or a shootout.
GAGoals againstTotal goals allowed.
SAShots againstWorkload faced.
SV%Save percentageShare of shots stopped — higher is better.
GAAGoals-against averageGoals allowed per 60 minutes — lower is better.
SOShutoutsGames without allowing a goal.

Know the numbers and the table stops being a wall of abbreviations — it becomes a fingerprint. Try a puzzle, or read the how-to-play guide for strategy.