Online Scoreboard: Free Score Keeper and Live OBS Overlay

A scoreboard for your own event

This online scoreboard is a manually controlled score keeper for games, scrims, classrooms, and streams. Enter the two participant names and adjust the score as the action happens. The tool does not assume a particular sport point value, so Add 1 and Subtract 1 give you direct control over the displayed totals. Use it when a simple visible score is more useful than a full tournament interface. For an organized draw, keep the live bracket as the source of progression and use the scoreboard as the audience display.

Correct scores without restarting

Each side has independent increment and decrement controls. Subtracting at zero leaves the score at zero rather than producing a negative result. Names are editable so the same display can serve a team match, a player set, or a classroom activity. If you are counting best-of series, decide whether the displayed number means individual games or completed sets. Explain that convention to spectators. A clear label prevents a best-of-three score from being mistaken for points inside the current game.

Use the period clock deliberately

The clock counts down from the duration you enter in seconds. Start it when play begins and pause it when the match rules require a stoppage. The display uses a deadline rather than assuming every browser timer callback arrives exactly on time, which reduces drift when a tab is briefly busy. It does not generate an audible official signal or stop a match automatically. Keep the referee or organizer timing authority separate from the display, and reconcile the clock after a browser or network interruption.

Choose a sport-specific display when needed

A general score keeper is useful for activities with simple totals, but some sports need additional context. The soccer scoreboard adds a half indicator and a longer default clock. The basketball scoreboard adds quarter tracking, team fouls, and a separate shot clock. Those pages are distinct controls rather than different names on the same generic screen. Use the version that matches the information your audience needs. For a tournament stream, link the scoreboard with the bracket overlay so viewers can understand both the current match and the overall event.

Live overlays and host control

Enable the live OBS overlay to create a read-only room URL. Keep the host tab open and use its controls to publish score changes. The room lasts for forty-eight hours, after which you create a new one for another event. The host credential stays in the host tab memory and is never added to the public overlay link. Viewers can read the room but cannot use that link to update it. Local controls work without the API, while live sharing requires a successful room connection.

Keep the displayed result trustworthy

Choose one operator to maintain the scoreboard and correct mistakes promptly. The screen is a manually controlled display, not an official results feed or an automatic referee. Compare it with the actual match score at breaks and before declaring a winner. A shared overlay polls for updates and can lag behind the host briefly. If the connection fails, the page shows a status message rather than pretending the latest update was delivered. Reconnect the overlay and verify its displayed state before continuing the broadcast.

Use an OBS browser source

Copy the overlay URL after the room connects, then add a browser source in OBS and paste that URL. The overlay mode removes the surrounding navigation and editing controls. Set the source dimensions to suit your broadcast and check team names, number contrast, and any clipping before going live. Do not share the host tab or a screenshot of private credentials. The audience URL contains only the room identifier, so it is appropriate for a read-only display. Create a new room if the current one expires.

Frequently asked questions