Basketball Score Sheet

This score sheet tracks 15 players with columns for jersey number, player name, points scored each quarter, overtime, personal fouls, and total points. The bottom row totals the team score per quarter and for the game. A separate game summary table at the bottom records the running score for both teams. Download it as an image or copy the table into a spreadsheet.

How to Use This Sheet

• Before the game: Fill in player names and jersey numbers. Write the team name, date, opponent, and location at the top.
• During each quarter: Record each player's points in the corresponding Q1-Q4 column. Use tally marks (|||| = 4 points) during play, then convert to numbers at the quarter break.
• Fouls: Mark each personal foul with a tally. Most leagues disqualify a player after 5 fouls (6 in the NBA).
• After the game: Add each player's quarter totals to get their game total. Sum the Total column for the team score. Cross-check against the official scoreboard.

Not every game needs a 15-player form with overtime columns. Youth recreation leagues, pickup games, and parent volunteers benefit from a smaller sheet that fits on half a page. This version covers 12 players with four quarters, fouls, and totals. No overtime column (add it to Q4 if needed), no game summary table.

When to Use the Simple Version

• Youth recreation leagues (ages 6-12). Rosters are smaller, game length is shorter, and the scorekeeper is often a parent who has never kept score before. Fewer columns mean fewer mistakes.
• Pickup games and scrimmages. You want a quick record of who scored what, not an official document.
• Single-game situations. When you only need the score and fouls (not rebounds, assists, or shooting splits), the simple sheet gives you everything without clutter.

FIBA (the International Basketball Federation) uses a specific scoresheet format for international competitions, national leagues, and sanctioned tournaments. The key difference from a standard score sheet is the running score column, where the scorekeeper marks each point as it happens by crossing off the next number in sequence. This creates a visual timeline of when each team scored and makes it easy to verify the score at any stoppage. The FIBA resource hub(opens in new tab) publishes the official scoresheet template and instructions.

FIBA vs. Standard Score Sheets

• Running score. The official FIBA scoresheet includes a running score grid where the scorekeeper crosses off numbers 1 through 200+ in sequence, alternating between teams. This simplified version tracks points by quarter per player instead, which works for non-sanctioned games that follow FIBA timing rules.
• Foul boxes. FIBA allows 5 personal fouls before disqualification. The five blank spaces in the Fouls column represent each foul. Cross one off each time a foul is called.
• 12-player roster. FIBA rules allow a maximum of 12 players per team on the game roster, compared to 15 in the NBA.

High school basketball in the United States follows NFHS rules(opens in new tab), which differ from NBA and FIBA in several ways that affect scorekeeping. Games consist of four 8-minute quarters (compared to 12 in the NBA and 10 in FIBA). Players foul out after 5 personal fouls. Overtime periods are 4 minutes. The NFHS publishes an approved scorebook format used by most state athletic associations.

For high school basketball, the standard score sheet above works with one adjustment: use the 5-foul limit instead of 6. Many high school scorekeepers also track team fouls per quarter (the bonus kicks in after the 7th team foul in each half under NFHS rules). Add a note at the bottom of your sheet to mark when each team enters the bonus.

High School Scorekeeping Tips

• Team foul count. Track team fouls per half, not per quarter. Under NFHS rules, the opposing team shoots one-and-one free throws after the 7th team foul in each half, and two shots after the 10th.
• Alternating possession arrow. Unlike the NBA (which uses jump balls), NFHS uses an alternating possession arrow for held balls and similar situations. Note the arrow direction on your sheet so coaches know which team gets the next possession.
• Substitution tracking. While not required on a basic score sheet, many high school scorekeepers note substitutions in the margins to help coaches verify playing time after the game.

Basketball scoring rules vary significantly by level, and your score sheet needs to match the format your league uses. Quarter length, foul limits, overtime duration, and timeout structure all change depending on whether you're scoring an NBA game, a FIBA tournament, or a third-grade rec league.

Why This Matters for Scorekeeping

The foul limit determines when you need to alert the referee that a player has fouled out. In the NBA, that's after 6 fouls. Everywhere else, it's 5. If your score sheet only has 5 foul boxes and you're scoring an NBA game, you will run out of space. Similarly, NCAA games use two 20-minute halves instead of four quarters, so a score sheet with Q1-Q4 columns needs to be adapted (use Q1 for the first half and Q3 for the second half, or cross out the quarter labels and write H1/H2).

Keeping a basketball score sheet during a live game is simpler than keeping a full stat sheet because you are tracking two things per player: points and fouls. But basketball moves fast, and mistakes happen when you look away from the court for too long.

Preparation

• Fill in the roster (names and numbers) before the game starts. Do not spend game time writing names
• Sit where you can see jersey numbers and hear the referee's whistle clearly
• Bring a clipboard, two pens (backup in case one dies), and two copies of the score sheet
• Confirm the quarter length and foul limit with the referee or league rules before tipoff

During the Game

• Points. When a player scores, find their row and add the points (2 or 3) to the current quarter column. For free throws, add 1 per make. Tally marks work during play; convert to numbers at each quarter break.
• Fouls. When the referee calls a foul on a player, mark it immediately. Count the total after marking. If a player reaches the foul limit, tell the head coach right away.
• Quarter breaks. Add each player's quarter total to the game summary row. Compare your team total with the scoreboard. Fix discrepancies while the quarter is still fresh in your memory.

Common Mistakes

• Crediting the wrong player. Always check the jersey number, not the player's position on the court. Number 23 from the bench looks different than number 23 in traffic near the basket.
• Missing free throws. Free throws happen during stoppages when your attention might wander. Watch the entire foul shot sequence.
• Forgetting three-pointers. A shot from behind the arc is 3 points, not 2. Watch the referee's signal: arms raised with both hands means 3 points.

A printed score sheet handles one game at a time. Once the game ends, the data lives on paper unless someone types it into a spreadsheet. For a single rec league game, that's fine. For a 20-game season where you want scoring trends, foul patterns, and quarter-by-quarter comparisons, paper creates a data entry bottleneck.

When Paper Works

• Youth games with a volunteer scorekeeper who has never used scoring software
• Tournaments where Wi-Fi is unreliable and phone batteries run low
• Scrimmages and practice games where you want a quick record but not long-term data

When Digital Adds Value

• Season-long tracking with automatic game-by-game and season averages
• Sharing scores with parents, players, and assistant coaches after each game
• Connecting game scores to practice plans and skill evaluations for a complete picture of player development
• Comparing scoring patterns across games to adjust lineups and rotations

For programs that want to connect scoring data with player evaluations and development tracking, platforms like Striveon link game performance with practice assessments and season goals. See how Striveon connects game data with athlete development.