Plus-minus: what the number in the box score measures
The +/- column is the plainest on-court figure on the sheet, and among the most misread. It counts the score while a player was on the floor, nothing more.
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Plus-minus records how the scoreboard changed while a particular player was on the court. If a team outscored its opponent 20-14 during a player's minutes, that player's plus-minus is +6. If the opponent won those minutes, the number is negative.
Why five players share every swing
Every point scored changes the plus-minus of all ten players on the court: five go up, five go down. That leads to a useful check. Add up the plus-minus of every player on one team and divide by five, and you get the final margin. A box score that fails it contains a data error.
What it captures
Plus-minus can register contributions that never reach the other columns: a defender who rotates well, a screener who creates open looks for others. Over a long season, players who consistently post good numbers often have an effect that the scoring line misses.
What it misses
- Teammates. A bench player who shares minutes with the best starters will have a flattering number.
- Opponents. Minutes against the other side's reserves are easier than minutes against its starters.
- Sample size. In a single game, a player with six minutes can swing from +8 to -8 on two possessions.
How to use it
Treat single-game plus-minus as a note about what happened, not a verdict on how well someone played. Read it alongside minutes: a +12 in thirty-four minutes says more than a +12 in seven. Wherever a season average is quoted, look for the games-played figure next to it, so the sample is always visible.
On our pages
Basketball match centres on PlayTheDream list each side's leading scorers, rebounders and passers, and the starting five, wherever the official game report publishes them. Plus-minus is shown only where the competition itself records it.