Football Scoreboard Online
Game clock, play clock, down and distance, and one button for every way to score — run it from the sideline and share the link.
How to use
- Step 1Name the two teams and set the quarter length in the settings: 15 minutes for NFL and college rules, 12 for US high school. Start the game clock on the snap or the ready-for-play signal and stop it when the officials do.
- Step 2Score with the buttons: TD +6, then PAT +1 for the kick or 2PT +2 for the conversion; FG +3 for a field goal, SAF +2 for a safety. Between plays set Down, To go and Ball on, and tap the possession button when the ball changes hands.
- Step 3Run the play clock with the 40 and 25 buttons — the arrow beside them starts it on its own while the game clock is stopped. Tap “Share live” to put the same board in the press box, on a stream and on the phones in the stands.
Every way to score, and what it is worth
After a touchdown the scoring team gets one untimed try. The NFL snaps the kick from the 15-yard line and the two-point play from the 2; college (NCAA) and high school (NFHS) run both from the 3. A safety is scored by the defense when the ball is dead behind the offense's own goal line, is worth two points, and the team that gave it up restarts with a free kick from its own 20.
The buttons on this board add exactly these values, so a touchdown and the kick after it are two taps: TD +6, then PAT +1. Use −1 to fix a mistake a point at a time, or the undo button in the toolbar to take back the last action.
| Play | Points |
|---|---|
| Touchdown | 6 |
| Try by kick (extra point, PAT) | 1 |
| Try by run or pass (two-point conversion) | 2 |
| Field goal | 3 |
| Safety | 2 |
| Defensive return on a try (NFL and NCAA) | 2 |
Downs, distance and the play clock
The offense has four downs to gain ten yards. Gain them and the chains move and it is first-and-10 again; come up short and the defense takes over at the spot. The three fields under the clock are what a stadium board shows: Down (1st to 4th), To go (the yards still needed) and Ball on, the spot of the ball — write it the way the stadium does, H 35 for the home team's 35-yard line.
The play clock is the second timer on this board. The offense has 40 seconds from the end of the previous play to snap the ball, and 25 seconds after an administrative stoppage: a change of possession, a penalty, a measurement, a charged timeout, an injury or the start of a period. The NFL, the NCAA and the NFHS (which adopted the 40-second clock in 2019) all use the same 40/25 pair.
Because the play clock runs between plays while the game clock is stopped, it has its own start/stop arrow next to the 40 and 25 reset buttons. The row is labelled Shot: it is the same timer slot that drives the shot clock on the basketball and lacrosse boards.
Quarters, timeouts and overtime
Quarter length, number of quarters and overtime length are all in the settings, so the same board runs a youth game with 8- or 10-minute running-clock quarters and a varsity game with 12. Timeouts on the board count what each team has left in the half; reset them with the + and − buttons at the start of the third quarter.
| Rule set | Quarters | Timeouts | Overtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL | 4 × 15 min | 3 per half | Regular season: one 10-minute period in which both teams get a possession (2025 rule), and the game can still end tied. Playoffs: 15-minute periods until someone wins |
| NCAA (college) | 4 × 15 min | 3 per half | Alternating possessions from the 25-yard line; from the third overtime teams trade two-point attempts |
| NFHS (high school) | 4 × 12 min | 3 per half | Chosen by each state association; the NFHS procedure gives each team first-and-goal at the 10-yard line, and from the third overtime only two-point tries from the 3 |
What this scoreboard tracks
- Score with one button for each way to score — touchdown, field goal, extra point, two-point try and safety — plus −1 and undo for corrections.
- Game clock with tenths of a second under a minute, adjustable quarter length and overtime, and a horn on the controlling device at 0:00.
- Play clock with 40- and 25-second resets and its own start/stop, so it runs between plays while the game clock is stopped.
- Down, distance and the spot of the ball, all three shown on the display beside the clock.
- Timeouts left for each team and a possession marker that shows which side has the ball.
- Full-screen display mode for a TV or projector, swap sides at half time, and a live view link that anyone can open without an account.
Questions and answers
Can the play clock run while the game clock is stopped?
Yes. The play clock has its own start/stop arrow, so you can let it run between plays while the game clock is stopped, exactly as it works on the field. Tap 40 after a normal play and 25 after an administrative stoppage.
Why does the play clock row say “Shot”?
It is the same timer that shows the shot clock on the basketball and lacrosse boards; on this page it is configured as the football play clock with 40- and 25-second resets. The number on the display is the play clock.
How do I set down and distance?
Down is a list from 1st to 4th, To go has + and − buttons for the yards needed, and Ball on is a free text field for the yard line — type it the way your stadium board reads it, for example H 35 or V 12. All three appear on the display.
What quarter length should I use?
Fifteen minutes for NFL and NCAA rules, twelve for US high school under NFHS rules, and eight or ten for most youth leagues. Change it in the settings; the new length applies to the next quarter, or immediately if the current one has not started.
Can parents in the stands see the score?
Share the view link or show its QR code. It opens in any phone browser and updates as you score; only your edit link can change the board, so nobody can touch the score by accident.