Youth Basketball - How to Keep Score (Part 1)

I recommend that you volunteer to keep the scorebook at your kid's youth basketball games. It's fun and it's really not that hard to do once you get the hang of it. Plus, you'll be close to your kid and involved in the game. Finally, a good scorekeeper is a valuable asset for the coaching staff.


Read this three part series of posts to learn how to keep score.


Understanding the Basketball Score Sheet


There are stats that are vitally important for the management of the game and there are stats that are "nice to have" for the coaching staff to evaluate a game.


The vital stats include:

1. The running score
2. Team fouls in each half
3. Player fouls
4. Time-outs

The "nice to have" stats include:

1. Individual player scoring 
2. Individual player assists 
3. Individual player rebounds
4. Individual player steals
5. Individual player turnovers
6. Individual player Field Goal %
7. Individual player Free Throw %
8. Team total assists
9. Team total rebounds
10. Team total steals
11. Team total turnovers
12. Team total Field Goal %
13. Team total Free Throw %

16 Stat Sheet Abbreviations

1. Pts. = Points. The total points scored by a player or team.
2. Asst. = Assist. An offenisve player is awarded an assist when a successful pass leads to a 2 or 3 point basket. The scorer must move directly toward the basket when they get the pass for the passer to be credited with an assist.
3. Reb. = Rebound. A player is awarded a rebound when they successfully control the ball after any missed shot whether it rebounds off the basket or rim or not. If you want to get crazy with stats you can record offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds. Offensive rebounds are rebounds recovered by the shooting team that extends the possession for the shooting team. Defensive rebounds are rebounds secured by the defense and result in a change of possession.
4. Stl. = Steal. A defensive player is awarded a steal when he or she successfully takes possession of the ball from an offensive player. This can be done by intercepting a pass, deflecting a pass to a teammate, swiping a ball from an offensive player and controlling it or batting a ball from an offensive player's hands to a teammate. 
5. TOV = Turnover. An offensive player is credited with a turnover when they lose possession of the ball to the other team. A player can turn the ball over by stepping out of bounds, making a bad pass that goes out of bounds, committing a violation (double dribble, carrying, 3 seconds or traveling), committing an offensive foul or having the ball stolen from them. (See steal above).
6. FG = Field Goals. A 2pt or 3pt shot made from the field (does not include shots made from the free throw line). A 2 point shot is a shot made inside the arc and a 3 point shot is a shot made beyond the three point arc.
7. FGA = Field Goals Attempted. This is the number of shots attempted from the field (does not include shots attempted from the free throw line.)
8. FG% = Field Goal Percentage. The percentage of shots made from the field versus shots attempted.
9. FT = Free Throw. Also called foul shots. These are 1 point baskets made from the free throw line.
10. FTA = Free Throw Attempts. These are free throw shots attempted from free throw or foul line. 
11. FT% = Free Throw Percentage. The percentage of shots made from the foul line versus foul shots attempted.
12. Team Fouls - The number of fouls committed by members of the team.
13. Bonus - When a team commits more than 6 fouls, the opposing team is in the bonus. When a team is in the bonus, they are awarded a 1 and 1 free throw for all non-shooting fouls committed against them. (1 and 1 means a player is awarded a second free throw if and only if they make the first free throw)
14. Double Bonus - When a team commits more than 9 fouls, the opposing team is in the double bonus. When a team is in the double bonus, they are awarded 2 free throw for all non-shooting fouls committed against them.
15. Time Outs - Typically, each team is awarded 5 time outs (2 thirty second timeouts and 3 full one minute time outs)
16. Click here for the definitions of more basketball terms 

You can print this blank stat sheet by doing an IMAGE google search on "Stats_Dad_Free_Printable_Basketball_Score_Sheet"

Click Here: Youth Basketball: How to Keep Score - the basics

The Main Point

It's really is easy to keep score once you get the hang of it. Get the vital stats and do your best with the "nice to have" stats. The action moves quickly and you might miss a rebound or an assist or two during the game, but don't sweat it - relax - have fun and contribute to the team.