Basketball score counter · Free · No sign-up
Basketball Score Counter
A basketball score counter adds 1, 2 or 3 points per team and keeps the score by period. This one also counts team fouls and says when the bonus starts under FIBA, NBA, NCAA or US high school rules, including the one-and-one, overtime carry-over and the NBA’s last-two-minutes rule.
Free, no sign-up, works offline, and nothing leaves this browser.
Team A 0–0 Team B, Quarter 1
Team fouls reset each quarter. Overtime counts as the 4th quarter, so they carry on.
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team A | 0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| Team B | 0 | — | — | — | 0 |
Tap +1 for a free throw, +2 or +3 for a basket. Tap Foul for every foul charged to a team, shooting fouls included, and Offensive foul for a foul by the team with the ball. Each side then says what the team’s next common foul gives the other team. In NBA mode, tap 2:00 left when the clock reaches two minutes in each period. Ctrl+Z undoes.
This keeps the score and the team fouls; it does not referee the game. It applies the team-foul penalty rules of FIBA Article 41, NBA Rule 12B, the NCAA rules and NFHS Rule 4-8-1. It has no game or shot clock, keeps team fouls rather than each player’s, does not decide whether a foul happened or what kind it was, and is not an official scoresheet. How that record is kept, with each player’s fouls as letters and the circled marks new in 2026, is in the guide to filling in a FIBA scoresheet. A game that counts touchdowns rather than baskets, with its own overtime, is kept by the American football score counter.
The points are the easy part. The number people argue about is the team fouls: whether the next one is free throws, and whether overtime starts from zero. That depends on which rulebook you play under.
In basketball, a team scores 1 point for a free throw, 2 for a field goal and 3 for a shot from beyond the arc. Every foul by a player is also a team foul, and once a team passes the limit for the period, the other team is in the bonus and shoots free throws on common fouls.
- No sign-up
- Free to use
- Counts never leave your browser
- Works offline
- Unlimited counters
Key facts
| Detail | Answer |
|---|---|
| Scoring | +1, +2 and +3 per team, with a points-by-period box score |
| Rules | FIBA, NBA, NCAA men, NCAA women and US high school (NFHS) |
| Team fouls | Counted per quarter or per half, as each rulebook says |
| Bonus | What the next common foul gives: throw-in, 1-and-1 or 2 free throws |
| Fouls to give | Shown for each team, including the NBA’s last two minutes |
| Overtime | Carries team fouls on (FIBA, NCAA, NFHS) or resets them (NBA) |
| Offensive fouls | A team foul without free throws; not a team foul in the NBA |
| Possession arrow | Yes, for the rulebooks that use one |
| Undo | Every basket, foul, period change and arrow flip |
| Where data goes | Nowhere. Local storage in this browser only |
| Official record | No. No clock, no player fouls; it keeps score and team fouls |
How to keep score in basketball with the counter
Pick the rulebook once, then tap as the game goes.
Choose the rules
FIBA for most of the world, NBA, NCAA men (halves), NCAA women or US high school. The rules decide how team fouls count, so changing them starts a new game.
Name the teams
So the score line and the box score read properly.
Tap the points
+1 for each free throw made, +2 for a basket, +3 for a shot from beyond the arc. Undo takes back a mis-tap.
Tap every foul
Foul for any foul charged to a team, shooting fouls included; Offensive foul for a foul by the team with the ball. Each panel then shows fouls to give or what the next foul is worth.
In the NBA, mark two minutes
Tap 2:00 left when the clock reaches two minutes in each period, so the last-two-minutes rule applies from the right moment.
End each period
End Q1, End Q2 and so on. At the end of regulation a tied game goes to overtime, and a decided one is final. Undo reopens it.
Where a basketball score counter gets used
Any game without a scoreboard operator, and any game where the operator wants a second check.
Youth and rec leagues
A parent at the table keeping the score and the team fouls, so the bonus is called on the right foul. The free throws the bonus hands out are worth practising on the free throw counter, which keeps the percentage and its likely range.
High school and AAU
Quarters, the fifth-foul bonus and overtime carried on from the 4th, as the NFHS rules have them since 2023–24.
Pickup and driveway games
Just the points, with a box score by period at the end; for rebounds and assists, see how to keep basketball stats by hand.
Coaching from the bench
Fouls to give for both teams at a glance, which is what decides whether to foul late in a close game.
Watching on TV
Follow an NBA, college or FIBA game and see before each foul whether it is free throws.
Learning to keep the book
New scorers can check the team-foul count, the penalty and the possession arrow against the rulebook they are working under.
When the bonus starts: FIBA, NBA, NCAA and high school compared
Every basketball rulebook has a point at which a team’s fouls start costing free throws. It is called the bonus (or the penalty, from the side of the team committing them), and the five rulebooks most people play under put it in different places. The free scoreboards at the top of a search, checked on 2026-09-27, mostly assume one of them. Digital Tally Counter’s says team fouls are “tracked per quarter” with a “default 5 fouls in a quarter”, beside a “College 2×20 min” format that has no quarters. JudgeMate’s says, for “both FIBA and NBA”, that “team fouls reset for each overtime period”, which is the NBA rule and not FIBA’s. Neither mentions the one-and-one or the NBA’s last-two-minutes rule.
| Rules | Team fouls counted per | Free throws start on | Overtime | Offensive foul | Player fouls out on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIBA | Quarter | 5th team foul: 2 free throws | Counts as the 4th quarter; fouls carry on | Team foul, no free throws | 5th |
| NBA | Quarter, and each overtime | 5th team foul (4th in overtime), or the 2nd in the last 2 minutes: 2 free throws | Resets to 0; limit of 3 | Not a team foul | 6th |
| NCAA men | Half | 7th: 1-and-1. 10th: 2 free throws | Continues the 2nd half | Team foul, no free throws | 5th |
| NCAA women | Quarter | 5th team foul: 2 free throws | Continues the 4th quarter | Team foul, no free throws | 5th |
| US high school (NFHS) | Quarter, since 2023–24 | 5th team foul: 2 free throws | Continues the 4th quarter | Team foul, no free throws | 5th |
Sources: FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2024, Articles 40 and 41; NBA Rule 12B, Sections V, VII and VIII; the NFHS 2023–24 rules changes to Rule 4-8-1; the NCAA men’s and women’s rules. The NCAA men’s changes for 2025–26 left the bonus alone, and the changes FIBA lists for its 2026 rules, in force from 1 October 2026, leave the team-foul penalty as it is.
What each rule means at the table
- “Five fouls” means the fifth one is penalised. FIBA puts a team in the penalty once it has four team fouls in a quarter; the NBA allows four “without additional penalties”. Either way, fouls one to four are free and the fifth is not.
- Overtime is where the rulebooks split. FIBA Article 41 treats team fouls in every overtime as committed in the fourth quarter, so a team on four fouls at the end of regulation is in the penalty from its first foul of overtime. In the NBA each overtime starts again at zero, with a limit of three.
- The one-and-one survives only in NCAA men’s basketball. The shooter must make the first free throw to earn the second. US high schools used it, on the 7th foul of a half, until the NFHS dropped it for 2023–24; some scorebook guides still describe the old rule. How the high school scorer records team fouls follows the current one.
- Offensive fouls count, but never pay. Outside the NBA a foul by the team with the ball goes on the team total and is penalised with a throw-in, never free throws (FIBA 41.2.2). In the NBA it is not a team foul at all.
The counter carries all five, and each team’s panel says what its next common foul is worth: a throw-in with fouls to give, a 1-and-1, or 2 free throws.
Fouls to give, the NBA’s last two minutes, and fouls that never pay
“Fouls to give” is the number of fouls a team can commit before the next one sends the other team to the line. Late in a close game, a team with one to give can foul to stop the clock or break up a play without conceding free throws. The counter shows it on each team’s panel, and it is the one figure that most needs the rulebook right. Cue sports count fouls against a limit too: in straight pool a third foul in a row costs 16 points, as the pool score counter applies.
The NBA’s last two minutes
NBA Rule 12B, Section V adds a clause no other rulebook here has: “If a team has not committed its quota of four team fouls during the first ten minutes of any regulation period, or its quota of three team fouls during the first three minutes of any overtime period, it shall be permitted to incur one team foul during the last two minutes without penalty.” So a team on one foul at the 2:00 mark does not have three to give. It has one. Worked through for one team in a 4th quarter:
| Situation | Team fouls | Fouls to give | Next foul gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 left | 1 | 3 | A throw-in |
| The clock reaches 2:00 | 1 | 1 | A throw-in |
| 1:40, a foul | 2 | 0 | 2 free throws |
| 0:50, another foul | 3 | 0 | 2 free throws; this foul was penalised too |
A team already on three fouls at 2:00 gets nothing extra: its fourth is free and its fifth is penalised, as it would have been anyway. A team on four is in the penalty already. The counter has no clock, so the 2:00 left button records each team’s count at that moment and applies the clause from there.
The fouls that never give free throws
Whatever the bonus says, some fouls are settled another way. A shooting foul gives free throws for the shot, bonus or not, and still counts as a team foul. An offensive foul gives the ball to the other team, and outside the NBA it still counts. So a team can be in the penalty and have a foul called against it that gives no free throws at all. The counter’s Offensive foul button adds to the total where the rules say so, and in NBA mode adds nothing.
| Foul | Before the bonus | In the bonus | Team foul? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common defensive foul | Throw-in | 2 free throws (1-and-1 in NCAA men, 7th to 9th) | Yes |
| Shooting foul, shot missed | 2 or 3 free throws | 2 or 3 free throws | Yes |
| Shooting foul, shot made | Basket counts, 1 free throw | Basket counts, 1 free throw | Yes |
| Offensive foul | Ball to the other team | Ball to the other team | Yes, except in the NBA |
Quarters, halves and overtime by rulebook: what Q3, OT and the arrow mean
A basketball game is split into periods, and the rulebook decides how many there are and how long each runs. Scoreboards and box scores label them by number: Q1 to Q4 for quarters, H1 and H2 for halves, and OT1, OT2 and so on for overtimes. So Q3 is the third quarter, the first period after half-time, and a team in the bonus in Q3 reached the limit in that quarter alone. The box score above uses the same labels, and switches to H1 and H2 when you pick NCAA men.
| Rules | Periods | Each period | Each overtime | Team fouls go back to zero |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIBA | 4 quarters | 10 minutes | 5 minutes | At each quarter; overtime counts as the 4th quarter |
| NBA | 4 quarters | 12 minutes | 5 minutes | At each quarter and at each overtime |
| NCAA men | 2 halves | 20 minutes | 5 minutes | At half-time; overtime continues the 2nd half |
| NCAA women | 4 quarters | 10 minutes | 5 minutes | At each quarter; overtime continues the 4th |
| US high school (NFHS) | 4 quarters | 8 minutes | 4 minutes | At each quarter, since 2023–24; overtime continues the 4th |
Period and overtime lengths are the rulebooks’ own, as Wikipedia’s basketball article summarises them; it notes that high school quarter length can vary by state. The resets are from the sources under the bonus table above. A foul count that starts again each period is not unique to basketball: futsal counts accumulated fouls per half and gives a 10-metre kick from the sixth, which the futsal score counter keeps the same way.
The possession arrow, and who starts each period
A held ball, two opponents with their hands on it, is settled two ways. Most competitions, FIBA’s and US college basketball’s among them, use alternating possession: an arrow on the scorer’s table, pointed after the opening tip at the team that lost it, gives that team the ball at the next held ball and is then turned round. FIBA adopted it in 2003; NCAA men’s basketball had it from 1981–82. The NBA, the WNBA and the EuroLeague have no arrow and jump the ball again. The NBA also settles the start of each period without one: the team that lost the opening tip starts the 2nd and 3rd quarters, the team that won it the 4th, and every NBA overtime begins with a jump ball, where FIBA starts overtime by the arrow. That is why the counter’s Possession arrow key disappears under NBA rules and flips with each use under the others (source: Wikipedia, Jump ball). Netball restarts after every goal with a centre pass that alternates between the teams, whoever scored, which the netball score counter keeps through every break.
Online counter vs a clicker, an app, paper and a spreadsheet
Every counting method trades something away. This is what each one actually costs you.
| Feature | This online counter | Handheld clicker | Counter phone app | Pen and paper | Spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $5–$15 | Free with ads, or paid | Cost of paper | Subscription |
| Anything to install | No | Buy the device | App store download | No | Yes, or a web login |
| Several counts at once | Unlimited | One per device | Usually limited | Yes, messy | Yes |
| Fix a miscount | Undo and redo | Start over | Sometimes | Cross it out | Edit the cell |
| Counts by more than one | Any step size | One at a time | Sometimes | Manual maths | Yes |
| Below zero | Yes | No | Rarely | Yes | Yes |
| Keeps the count if you close it | Saves automatically | Until you reset the dial | Yes | If you keep the paper | Yes |
| Works with no signal | Yes, after first load | Yes | Yes | Yes | Often not |
| Keyboard and shortcuts | Full | None | None | None | Partial |
| Sends your counts anywhere | Never | Never | Often, for accounts and ads | Never | Yes, to the cloud |
Other counter types
The same counter, set up and explained for a specific job. Your counters are shared across all of them.
Sport & scores12
Scoreboards that know the rules of their game, not just two numbers that go up.
Baseball score counter
Balls, strikes, outs and the line score, with foul bunts, dropped third strikes and walk-offs.
Open baseball score counter →Cricket score counter
Runs, wickets and overs by legal balls, with wides, no-balls, free hits and the chase.
Open cricket score counter →American football score counter
Touchdowns and the try at each level, with NFL, college and high school overtime rules.
Open american football score counter →Boxing score counter
Three judges' 10-point must cards and the verdict they give, split and majority draws included.
Open boxing score counter →Hockey score counter
Ice hockey goals and shots by period, with each league's overtime, shootout and standings points.
Open hockey score counter →Pool score counter
Straight pool with the breaking foul and three-foul penalties, and 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball races.
Open pool score counter →Rugby score counter
Union, sevens and league points, conversions tied to tries, golden point and bonus points.
Open rugby score counter →Soccer score counter
Goals by minute, five subs in three windows, second yellows, extra time and aggregate.
Open soccer score counter →Table tennis score counter
Games to 11 with the server named, doubles order, the swap at 5 and the expedite system.
Open table tennis score counter →Tennis score counter
Love to game with the server's court, every change of ends, tie-breaks and doubles order.
Open tennis score counter →Padel score counter
The 2026 Star Point, golden point or advantage, who serves and receives, and every change of sides.
Open padel score counter →Volleyball score counter
Rally scoring with the six-position rotation, the next server, time-outs, subs and beach mode.
Open volleyball score counter →
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Frequently asked questions
What is a team foul in basketball?
A team foul is a foul by any player, counted against the whole team for the period. It is the team total, not any one player’s, that brings the bonus: under FIBA, NBA, NCAA women’s and high school rules a team’s 5th foul in a quarter gives the other side 2 free throws. Rulebooks differ on what joins the count: an offensive foul counts under FIBA, not in the NBA.
How does the bonus work in basketball?
Each team’s fouls are added up over a quarter or a half. Once a team passes the limit, the other team is in the bonus: common fouls that would normally give only a throw-in give free throws instead. Under FIBA, NBA, NCAA women and high school rules that is the 5th team foul in a quarter, with 2 free throws each time.
How many team fouls until the bonus?
Four fouls are free and the fifth gives 2 free throws under FIBA, NBA, NCAA women’s and US high school rules, counted per quarter. NCAA men count per half: the 7th foul gives a 1-and-1 and the 10th two shots. In NBA overtime the limit is three, and in the last two minutes a team gets only one more foul before the penalty.
What is the double bonus in basketball?
The double bonus is NCAA men’s basketball’s second stage. From the 10th team foul of a half, a fouled player shoots 2 free throws on every common foul. Between the 7th and 9th fouls it is the ordinary bonus, a 1-and-1. Other rulebooks have no double bonus, because they go straight to 2 free throws on the 5th foul of a quarter.
What does one-and-one mean in basketball?
A one-and-one is a free throw that earns a second only if it goes in. Miss the first and the ball is live, so a one-and-one can be worth 0, 1 or 2 points. It applies in NCAA men’s basketball on the 7th to 9th team fouls of a half. US high schools used it until the NFHS removed it for the 2023–24 season.
Do team fouls reset in overtime?
It depends on the rulebook. Under FIBA, NCAA and US high school rules they do not: overtime is treated as part of the 4th quarter, or of the second half in NCAA men’s, so a team already in the penalty stays there. In the NBA each overtime starts at zero, and the penalty begins with the 4th team foul of that overtime.
Do team fouls reset every quarter?
Under FIBA, NBA, NCAA women’s and US high school rules, yes: each team starts every quarter on zero, so four fouls are free again. NCAA men play halves and reset only at half-time. Overtime is where they split: FIBA, NCAA and high school carry the count on from the end of regulation, while the NBA starts each overtime at zero with three fouls to give.
What does fouls to give mean?
Fouls to give are the fouls a team can still commit before the next one gives the other team free throws. Under a five-foul rule, a team with two fouls in the quarter has two to give. Teams use them late in games to stop the clock or break up a play. In the NBA’s last two minutes a team has at most one to give.
Does an offensive foul count as a team foul?
Under FIBA, NCAA and US high school rules, yes: it goes on the team total, which brings the bonus closer, but it is penalised with a throw-in, never free throws. In the NBA an offensive foul is charged to the player as a personal foul but is not a team foul, so it does not count toward the penalty at all.
What is the NBA two-minute foul rule?
If an NBA team has fewer than four team fouls when the clock reaches 2:00 in a quarter, it may commit one foul in the last two minutes without penalty; the next one gives 2 free throws. So a team on one foul at 2:00 has one to give, not three. In overtime the same applies to a team under its limit of three.
Does high school basketball still have the one-and-one?
No. From the 2023–24 season the NFHS rules count team fouls per quarter, reset them at the end of each quarter, and give 2 free throws from the 5th foul. The old rule, a 1-and-1 on the 7th foul of a half and two shots on the 10th, is gone. Overtime is an extension of the 4th quarter, so fouls carry on.
Is this an official basketball scoreboard?
No. It is a score counter for rec leagues, youth games, pickup and following games on television. It keeps points by period, team fouls, the bonus and the possession arrow in this browser, and sends nothing anywhere. It has no game or shot clock, does not track each player’s fouls, and does not decide whether a foul happened.
Counting guides
Longer answers to the questions behind the counting.
- Rules
How to keep a high school basketball scorebook
The NFHS marks for points, free throws and fouls, the fifth-foul bonus by quarter, time-outs, and the checks that keep the book and the scoreboard together.
- Basketball
How to keep basketball stats by hand
The NCAA statisticians' definitions of shots, rebounds, assists, steals and turnovers, one stat per volunteer, and the two sums that prove a hand-kept sheet.
- Rules
How to fill in a FIBA basketball scoresheet
The running score, team fouls, time-outs and the new 2026 foul marks, DI, FL and the circled T.
- Reference
Types of counters explained
Synchronous vs asynchronous, mod-N, ring and Johnson, industrial and PLC counters, plus mechanical and software counters.
- Tallying
Tally marks explained
Groups of five, the five-bar gate, and why the convention has survived for centuries.
- Baseball
How to keep an official pitch count
Little League requires an official recorder at every game. Almost nobody explains the job.