Basketball stat keeper cheat sheet

Keep this page open on your phone at the scorer's table. Each line is one stat or one ruling. For the full workflow, read how to keep basketball stats.

Abbreviations

• PTS: points
• REB: rebounds
• AST: assists
• STL: steals
• BLK: blocks
• TO / TOV: turnovers
• PF: personal fouls
• FG: field goals, as made-attempted (5-11)
• 3PT: three-pointers, made-attempted
• FT: free throws, made-attempted
• MIN: time on the floor

What counts

• Assist: the last pass before a basket, when it leads directly to the score. One per basket, at most. More on assists.
• Rebound: control of the ball after a missed shot. Touching it is not enough.
• Steal: a defender's touch causes a turnover. Every steal needs a matching turnover.
• Block: a defender deflects a shot attempt.
• Turnover: the offense loses the ball before it gets a shot off. Bad pass, lost dribble, travel, offensive foul. More on turnovers.
• Foul: whatever the official calls. You record it; you don't judge it.

Quick rulings

These follow the FIBA Statisticians' Manual. Your league may differ, so check with your coach.

• Shooter beats a set defender one-on-one after the catch? No assist.
• Score straight off the catch? Assist.
• Pass, missed shot, putback? No assist. The miss breaks the chain.
• Bad pass out of bounds? Turnover on the passer. No steal.
• Pass deflected out of bounds by a defender? Turnover, but no steal. The ball went dead.
• Defender knocks the ball loose and a teammate picks it up? Steal for the defender who knocked it loose.
• Offensive foul? A personal foul and a turnover, both on the same player.
• Shot-clock or 5-second inbound violation? FIBA charges the turnover to the team, not to a player. HoopReads records stats for players only, so it skips these.
• Missed first of two free throws? No rebound. The ball is dead.

How a statkeeper records it

1. Before tip-off: roster with numbers, starters, your stat list.
2. Every possession: how did it end? Who touched it last?
3. Every event: one player, one stat, recorded right away.
4. Every dead ball: catch up on anything you missed.
5. Every break: add up each column. The players' points must match the scoreboard.

Or say it instead of writing it:

“James turnover”

“Isaiah block”

When you fall behind

• Drop to five stats: points, rebounds, assists, turnovers, fouls.
• Mark a missed play with "?" and fix it at the next timeout.
• Never guess a jersey number.

Want the full table explained? Read the box score guide. Keeping the official book too? Read the scorebook guide.