What this calculator does
Winning percentage is wins divided by games played, with each tie counted as half a win. A team at 24 wins, 14 losses and no ties is on 63.2%.
The half-a-win convention is what makes ties comparable. Adding four ties to that same record gives 24 wins, 14 losses and 4 ties, and the percentage drops slightly to 61.9%, because the ties are worth half each against a record that was already better than half.
The formula
Wins plus half the ties is divided by the total games played, which is wins plus losses plus ties. The result is expressed as a percentage. Leagues that do not have ties simply leave that field at zero, in which case the calculation reduces to wins over games.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Winning percentage | Wins plus half the ties, divided by total games. |
| Tie convention | A tie counts as half a win and half a loss, which keeps the scale consistent. |
| Games played | Wins plus losses plus ties, which is the denominator. |
| Points percentage | An alternative used in some leagues, based on points earned against points available, which handles overtime losses differently. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Wins | Wins. |
| Losses | Losses. |
| Ties/draws | Ties or draws. Leave at zero in leagues that do not have them. |
When to use it
Comparing teams with different games played
Percentage is what makes a team that has played 40 games comparable with one that has played 35, which raw win totals do not.
Tracking a season
The percentage moves with every result and is the usual basis for standings in leagues where teams play unequal numbers of games.
Working across sports
The same calculation applies to any league decided on wins and losses, which is why the figure is recognisable across sports that share nothing else.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How do ties affect winning percentage?
Three records showing the effect of ties and of a losing record.
Questions
How are ties counted?
As half a win. A 10-10-4 record is treated as 12 wins from 24 games, giving 50%. The convention keeps the scale consistent: a team that ties every game finishes at exactly 50%, which is what a tie ought to mean.
Why not just use wins?
Because teams often play unequal numbers of games, particularly partway through a season or across leagues with different schedule lengths. Percentage normalises for that, which is why standings are ordered by it rather than by win count.
Is winning percentage the same as points percentage?
No. Some leagues, notably the NHL, award points for overtime losses, so a team can earn points without winning. Points percentage divides points earned by points available and gives a different figure from winning percentage in those leagues.
Why is it often written as a decimal?
Convention, particularly in American sports, where .632 is written rather than 63.2%. They are the same number. Baseball in particular writes three decimal places with no leading zero, a style it shares with batting average.
For a pennant race, see the magic number calculator. For rating-based comparison, see the Elo rating calculator.