How to Keep Score in Hockey
Ice hockey awards one goal when the puck legally enters the net. The score is the total number of goals, carried through three periods and any overtime required by the competition.
Start a hockey scoreboard- Goal
- 1 point
- Maximum standard game
- 3 × 20-minute periods
- Tied regulation
- Overtime or tie, by competition
How hockey scoring works
- 01
Add one goal after the official confirms that the puck legally entered the net.
- 02
Carry the cumulative score through all three regulation periods.
- 03
At the end of regulation, the higher score wins. A tied game may remain a tie or continue to overtime.
- 04
If a shootout decides the game, the official final score generally adds one goal to the winning team, regardless of the number of shootout attempts scored.
Choose the rules your event uses
Governing bodies, age groups, and tournament directors can use different formats. Confirm the format before play.
Regular-season ties continue to overtime and then a shootout if needed.
Play continues until a goal decides the game; no shootout is used.
USA Hockey competitions may use shorter period and penalty lengths by age and event.
Keep the scoreboard clean
- ✓Wait for the referee’s goal signal before adding a point.
- ✓Advance the period only when it ends.
- ✓Check the event rules for whether a regulation tie stands.
Read the complete rules
This guide covers scoreboard essentials, not every playing rule. Local competition rules take precedence.