Three-pointers and range

Three-pointers are the only shot whose chance drops with distance. Up to a set range the full chance applies; past it, the chance shrinks the further out you go.

How the falloff works

After the normal steps (stat curve, boosts, contest, open-shot bonus, cap), the game multiplies a three's chance by a range factor:

• Inside the full-accuracy range (9.0 units from the hoop): factor 1, no penalty.

• Past it: factor = (9.0 ÷ your distance) to the power 15. That is extremely steep:

  Distance from the hoop (units)	Chance kept
  9.0 or less	100%
  9.25	66%
  9.5	44%
  10.0	21%
  10.5	10%
  11.0	5%
  12.0	1%

• A floor stops it reaching zero. The final chance never drops below 0.01%.

A unit is a meter (10000 internal = 1 m). The court is NBA-sized: the rim is 3.048 m (10 ft) high and the three-point arc is 7.24 m (23.75 ft) from the hoop, with the corners at 6.4 m. So threes lose nothing until about 1.75 m (6 ft) behind the arc at the top. Corner threes never lose anything: the sideline is only 7.6 m from the hoop.

In 10 recorded matches, threes from 10 m or more went in 14 of 22 times, far more than the 5–21% of normal chance the falloff leaves at those distances. Nearly all were Midorima's, whose long-range skills evidently get around the falloff.

Some effects shift your effective distance: the value of effect type 622 is added to the measured distance. A negative value acts like extra range, a positive one like standing further out. The trait Elite Marksman uses it: −0.2/0.3/0.5/0.8/1 unit at levels I–V, so at level V the falloff starts at 10 units instead of 9 (Traits). Other skills or items that use it are not yet known. The distance is measured flat on the floor, ignoring height, and never counts as less than 1 unit.

What this means for you

• Half a unit too deep halves your chance. The falloff is so steep that "a little too far" is already a bad shot.
• Step in, not back. A step-back three that moves you past the range costs accuracy; one that stays inside costs nothing.
• Corner and wing threes are not special. Only straight-line distance to the hoop matters, not the spot on the arc. Corners are closer to the hoop, so they are less likely to be past the range.
• Deep threes need a reason. Take them late in the clock or when the defense gives nothing else.

How it differs from other shots

Inside the arc, the shot's chance does not depend on distance at all once its type (close shot or mid-range) is set. A mid-range from just inside the arc and one from the elbow have the same chance, all else equal.