Defensive Rebound %
The share of available defensive rebounds a player or team secures. It measures how reliably they end an opponent's possession after a missed shot.
What Defensive Rebound measures
A miss only ends the other team's possession if the defense grabs the ball. Teams that let opponents get offensive boards give up second-chance points, among the easiest points to prevent. Defensive rebound % measures how cleanly a team closes the glass on its own end, with pace taken out so fast teams are not punished for facing more rebounds.
How Defensive Rebound is calculated
DRB% = Team Defensive Rebounds ÷ (Team Defensive Rebounds + Opponent Offensive Rebounds) × 100
DRB%: Defensive Rebound Percentage / DRB: Defensive Rebounds / OREB_opp: Opponent Offensive Rebounds
The catch
Most defensive rebounds are uncontested
At this level the defense secures the great majority of misses on position alone. The difference between a 67% and a 74% team is mostly box-out discipline and system, not jumping. That makes this as much a coaching number as a talent one.
Good shot defense inflates it
A team that forces bad shots faces more misses, so more defensive rebound chances. A high rate can partly reflect great shot defense rather than great rebounding. The two often travel together, but they are different skills.
Seen in a game
Real Madrid cleaned the defensive glass better than anyone in 2025–26, securing 73.7% of available defensive boards, with Walter Tavares pulling down around 4.1 a game. That discipline let a 28-16 side finish possessions rather than defend them twice. Olympiacos paired 72.7% with the league's best defense (109.3), a reminder that a stop is not finished until someone grabs the ball.
Common questions
- What is defensive rebound percentage?
Defensive rebound percentage is the share of available defensive rebounds a player or team secures while on the floor. It measures how well they end opponents' possessions.
- How is defensive rebound percentage calculated?
Divide defensive rebounds by the defensive rebounds available (opponent misses) during the player's minutes on court.
- Why does defensive rebound percentage matter?
Every defensive rebound ends the opponent's possession and starts your own. Teams that clean the defensive glass give up fewer second chances, which is one of the four factors that decide games.
