How to Read Live Football Scores: FT, HT, AET, PEN and Every Status Code Explained
A live scoreboard packs a lot of information into a few characters. Once you know the codes, you can tell at a glance whether a match has started, is at half-time, went to extra time or was called off. This guide explains every status you will see on EHScore and most other score services.
Before kick-off
A match that has not started shows its kick-off time in your own time zone instead of a score. Some services add the label NS (not started). If the time is replaced with TBD (to be decided), the competition has scheduled the round but not yet fixed the exact date or time, which is common when television broadcasters are still choosing matches.
While the match is being played
- The minute (for example 37'): the clock counts up from 0 to 45 in the first half and from 45 to 90 in the second half. It never stops for injuries or substitutions.
- 45+2' or 90+4': the match is in stoppage time (also called added time or injury time). The number after the plus sign is how many minutes have been played beyond the regular 45 or 90.
- 1H and 2H: first half and second half, used by some feeds instead of a minute.
- HT: half-time. The interval normally lasts 15 minutes under the Laws of the Game.
- LIVE: the match is in progress. On EHScore live matches are highlighted and also appear together on the Live tab.
Why does stoppage time vary so much? The referee adds time for substitutions, injuries, VAR reviews, goal celebrations and deliberate time-wasting. Since the 2022 World Cup many referees calculate this more precisely, so seeing 8 or 10 added minutes is no longer unusual.
After the final whistle
- FT (full time): the match finished after 90 minutes plus stoppage time.
- AET (after extra time): the scores were level after 90 minutes in a match that needed a winner, so two extra periods of 15 minutes were played and the match was decided in that time.
- PEN (penalties): the match was still level after extra time and was decided by a penalty shoot-out. The shoot-out score is usually shown separately in brackets, for example 1-1 (4-3 pen). Goals scored in the shoot-out do not count in the match score or in player goal totals.
You can learn more in our guide to extra time and penalty shoot-outs.
When a match does not finish normally
| Code | Meaning | What usually happens next |
|---|---|---|
| PST | Postponed: the match was moved before it started. | A new date is announced by the league. |
| SUSP | Suspended: play was stopped and is expected to resume. | Resumes the same day or later from the minute it stopped. |
| INT | Interrupted: a short, temporary stop (for example a floodlight failure). | Usually continues after a delay. |
| ABD | Abandoned: the referee ended the match before full time. | The competition decides whether to replay it or award the result. |
| CANC | Cancelled: the match will not be played. | Points may be awarded or the fixture removed. |
| AWD / WO | Awarded / walkover: the result was decided by the organisers. | A set score, often 3-0, is recorded. |
Reading two-legged ties
In knockout rounds played over two matches, the score of the current match is shown normally, and the aggregate (combined) score of both legs is often added, for example "Agg 3-2". The team with the higher aggregate goes through. UEFA abolished the away goals rule in 2021, so if the aggregate is level after the second leg, the tie goes to extra time and, if needed, penalties.
Cards, goals and other symbols
Inside a match page you will see small icons for events. A football means a goal, a yellow or red rectangle means a caution or sending-off, and two arrows mean a substitution. A goal marked (OG) is an own goal and (P) means it was scored from the penalty spot. A red card next to a team name on the scoreboard tells you that team is playing with fewer than eleven players.
Why a score might change after the match
Data providers sometimes correct details after the final whistle. The most common change is the scorer of a deflected shot, which a league's goals panel may later reassign as an own goal. Very occasionally a result is changed by the organisers, for example when a team fielded an ineligible player. Official competition websites remain the final record.
Quick reference
- NS not started · HT half-time · FT full time
- AET after extra time · PEN decided on penalties
- PST postponed · SUSP suspended · ABD abandoned · CANC cancelled
Now you can open the EHScore home page and read today's scoreboard like a pro.