Enter your goals allowed, minutes played, and game length to calculate a goalkeeper's Goals Against Average (GAA). Works for hockey (60 min), soccer (90 min), field hockey (70 min), and lacrosse. Your GAA result shows how many goals a goalie allows per full game — lower is better.
Goals Against Average (GAA)
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Performance Rating
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Equivalent Games Played
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Goals Allowed Per Game
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Goals Against Average (GAA) is a statistic that measures how many goals a goalkeeper allows per full game on average. It is calculated by multiplying goals allowed by the standard game length, then dividing by total minutes played. A lower GAA indicates better goalie performance.
The formula is: GAA = (Goals Allowed × Game Length) ÷ Minutes Played. For hockey, the game length is 60 minutes, so if a goalie allowed 10 goals in 300 minutes, their GAA would be (10 × 60) ÷ 300 = 2.00.
In hockey, a GAA below 2.00 is considered outstanding, 2.00–2.70 is good, 2.70–3.00 is respectable, and above 3.00 is considered below average. Standards vary by league level — elite NHL goalies often post GAAs under 2.50.
In official NHL and most professional hockey statistics, empty net goals do NOT count against the goalie's GAA because the goalie has been pulled from the net. However, rules can vary by league, so always check your specific league's scoring rules.
Save percentage (SV%) is generally considered a more reliable measure of goalie performance than GAA because it accounts for the number of shots faced. A goalie on a weak defensive team may face more shots and have a higher GAA despite playing well. Using both stats together gives the best picture.
Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA) is considered a more advanced and accurate metric than GAA because it accounts for the quality and quantity of shots faced. GAA is simpler and more widely recognized, but GSAA better isolates a goalie's individual contribution independent of team defense.
Yes. Standard game lengths differ by sport: ice hockey and lacrosse use 60 minutes, field hockey uses 70 minutes, and soccer uses 90 minutes. This calculator lets you select your sport's game length or enter a custom value so your GAA is calculated correctly.
Yes, GAA applies to any sport with a goalkeeper. For soccer, use a game length of 90 minutes. The calculation works identically — divide goals allowed multiplied by 90 by the total minutes played to get the soccer keeper's GAA.