LACROSSE Score Table Basics

Written By Guillaume Dumortier

US Lacrosse Guidelines for Scorekeeping and Timing

Score Keeping Step By Step

Score Keeper

Is responsible for keeping an accurate account of the statistics of the game, oversee all activities occurring within the Table Area and maintaining an unbiased attitude in regards to the game.  

The home scorekeeper should arrive no later than 30 minutes prior the start of the game to oversee field set up, log opposing team players into the scorebook, and ensuring that all equipment needed for the table is in good working order (time clock, stopwatches, and horn).  

The home scorebook is the official scoring device for the game.  It is best to have two individuals on the book at a time; one to log the home team and the other to log the opposing team.  

The scorekeeper will log the activity as it occurs on the field and should use the time between quarters and half to total up activity for the prior quarter.  

This is also a good time to ensure your totals match the opposing team’s totals.

Before the start of the game

Fill out the following sections.

  • Team Section

    Fill out the team information with player numbers and names. Your team should be on the left hand page and opponent on right.

  • Running Score Bar Section (top left hand corner)

    Fill out team name, coach, and W/L record. Place a V for visiting team and an H for home team.

  • Player Statistics

    Are recorded to the right of the players name as they occur. These include shots, goals, assists, and ground balls. Use slash marks in groups of 5 to record information. It is important to change the color of the marker for every quarter. The goalie saves are recorded at the bottom of the page.

  • Team Statistics

    Are recorded during the quarter. They are totaled at the end of each quarter in the statistics category boxes to the right of the page. These include the ground balls, shots, clears, extra man, and face-offs.

Game Stats During Game

Goal and Assist

A goal is granted to a team when the ball crosses the plane of the opposing team's goal. If the ball was passed to the scorer in a position where he could make the shot, an assist will be given to the player who passed him the ball.  If the scorer had to maneuver to get into a shooting position after he received the ball, no assist will be given.  The rule to follow: if after receiving a pass, a scorer takes 3 steps or less to shoot and score, an assist is given to the teammate making the pass.

  • Goal

    There are 3 sections that need to be updated for when a goal is scored.

    1. Running score bar:

      This section at the top needs the players number for both goal and assist in the lower two boxes; time of the goal and the type of the goal will be marked in the upper two boxes.

    2. Player Statistics:

      In this section mark the shot and goal with tick marks for the appropriate player.

    3. Team Statistics:

      In the shots section mark a tick mark for the quarter the shot/goal was taken.

  • Assist

    The assist will be marked in two places.

    1. Running score bar:

      This section at the top needs the player's number for the assist.

    2. Player Statistics:

      In this section mark the assist with a tick mark after the appropriate player.

  • Shots

    This is a record of the shots taken at the opponent's goal. If a player makes an attempt to shoot and the ball is moving toward the goal, count that as one shot. Shots can end in a goal, a goalie save, a ground ball situation, or a shot out of bounds which will be awarded to the closest player to the ball where it went out at.

    1. Player Statistics:

      In this section make a tick mark for the player who took a shot.

    2. Team Statistics:

      In the shots section make a tick mark for the quarter in which the shot was taken.

  • Ground Balls

    This is typically a record of how many times there is a change of possession but not always. An experienced spotter will be familiar with this stat. Ground balls can be true balls on the ground, interception of passes, or saving a ball from going out of bounds or across the mid-line.

    1. Player Statistics:

      In this section make a tick mark for the player who gains possession of a loose ground ball.

    2. Team Statistics:

      In the ground balls section record a tick mark for each ground ball your team gains possession of.

Other Team Statistics

  • Clears

    The clear is the movement of the ball from the defensive zone to the offensive zone. A successful clear will be one where the team can maintain possession of the ball past the midfield line and into their offensive zone. A failed clear occurs when the team loses possession of the ball before it can obtain a controlled possession of the ball within its offensive zone.  Place tick marks in appropriate column.

  • Extra Man

    This is a record of each time the team has a man advantage due to a penalty on the opposing team. Place a tick mark under each the scored column if the team scores when the opposing team has a player in the penalty box. Place a tick mark under the failed column if the penalty releases before a score.

  • Face offs

    This is a record of how many faces offs that your team wins and loses. For each face-off indicate if it was won or lost. The official will signal possession when a team has control of the ball after the face-off. Which ever team has control of the ball at that time will be awarded the face-off.

  • Penalty

    In the Penalties/Fouls section the P/T is the penalty time (:30, 1, 2, 3), the player number, and the infraction. Also record quarter and time which the infraction occurred. Example is "12 slashing" If a player is being flagged for several penalties, inform the coach if they have more than three personal fouls.

  • Saves

    This is a record of the number of stops that your goalie makes on shots that are on goal. The saves and the other teams shot numbers will be different because not all shots will be in a position to be stopped by the goalie. Only shots that have a chance of scoring should be counted at saves if the goalie stops the shot. The saves are recorded for each quarter and listed with a tick mark behind the goalie number.

  • Time Outs

    Record the time outs taken by the team and the time taken. Each team is allowed two timeouts each half. There is one time out in each overtime period. If a team calls time out and they have already used their allotted number, inform the referee.

    At the end of each quarter

    At the end of each quarter, the team statistics will be totaled (right side of each page)

    At the end of the game

    Record the team statistics for ground balls, shots, face offs, extra man, etc. in the Statistics section, record the player name, number, and individual statistics for goals, assists, and points in the Individual Scoring section.

If at anytime during the game you have question about a call on the fieldyou must first wait for game play to stop. Toot the horn twice and the referee will respond to the tables needs.

Guillaume Dumortier