How to Use the Score Commands & Examples – Full Guide

If you’d like to customize your scoreboard in CS:GO and CS2, as in being able to display it permanently or hide it, you need to learn how to use the score commands. And this is why we have created this complete guide.

We are going to take you by the hand and show you all about two of the most popular HUD commands in CS:GO and CS2:

• What the score commands are

• Definition of the +score and -score commands

• Function and purpose of the score commands

• How the score commands work in CS:GO and CS2

• How to input +score and -score commands via console

• How to bind the score commands to easily show and hide the scoreboard

• Examples on how to use the commands in the game

• Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the score commands

Let’s start by discovering what the two score commands are, so we can bring you a proper overview and then continue with the rest of sections of this guide.

What are the Score Commands?

The “score” commands in CS:GO and CS2 are +score and -score. They are part of the family of HUD commands, and they are the only ones responsible for showing or hiding the scoreboard in the game.

They are the most popular commands for this purpose. Nonetheless, we also find two valid variants that belong to the same category: +showscores and -showscores. However, provided +score and -score are shorter, and hence easier to input, they are more popular amongst CS players.

To make it even simpler for you to remember what they are, here you have a list of all the score commands available in the game:

• +score

• -score

• +showscores

• -showscores

It’s important to note they are treated as cvar variables, which means they don’t accept arguments when inputting them via console. We will go into the exact details about the score commands in the following sections.

Now that you know what the score commands are – +score, -score, +showscores and -showscores – let’s check more details about them in the next section.

Definition of the Score Commands

The score commands were introduced in the game to allow players to easily display or hide the scoreboard by simply inputting them via console, as opposed to having to press down on the TAB key to display it temporarily. Hence, these commands allow you to either show or hide it permanently.

Especially since it is possible to bind the score commands, many players prefer to use the +score and -score, or +showscores and -showscores commands, to having to constantly use the TAB key, especially if they want to stick to the scoreboard to the screen for as long as they wish.

If you are interested in learning how to bind the score commands to show and hide the scoreboard at will by clicking a key, you can find a tutorial on how to do it in the next sections.

Because these are commands that solely allow you to customize your HUD, they do not require you to activate “sv_cheats 1” beforehand. You can input them right away via the developer console, and they will work instantly.

Additionally, as we’ve mentioned before, these commands work in both CS:GO and CS2 because both games are Source-based. So, if you were using the score commands in CS:GO and worried you couldn’t use them anymore, unlike other commands that Valve didn’t include in the new version, you don’t need to worry.

It is also important to mention these commands are natural for the majority of Source-based games, such as Half-Life. In both games, +score and -score serve the same purposes, just like +showscores and -showscores.

Now that you have a proper definition of the score commands in CS:GO and CS2, let’s see how they work, to understand their purpose and function perfectly.

How Do the Score Commands Work?

The mechanism of the score commands is fairly simple to understand, and we can explain it in the following fashion:

1. If you input +score or +showscores via console, it will let the game know you want to display the scoreboard permanently, and it will immediately fulfill this function

2. If you input -score or -showscores via console, it will let the game know you no longer want to display the scoreboard permanently, and hence it will proceed to hide it instantly. It will only work if you have previously input +score or +showscores

If you are more of a visual person, here you have a table that will help you to easily see the function of each command in the game:

Now that you know all the ways you can use the score commands in CS:GO and CS2, we will answer a common question about them, which is whether it is possible or not to use the arguments to execute additional functions.

Is it possible to use arguments for the score commands?

No, it is not possible to use arguments for the score commands. They fulfill a straightforward purpose, which is displaying or hiding the scoreboard, and given their syntax rules, they act as a cvar command. Therefore, assigning a numeric or alphanumeric argument to them won’t yield any result, as they have not been engineered to work this way.

For example, if you input “score 1” believing it will display the scoreboard, it won’t work. The same if you previously input “+score” and you try to hide it by inputting “score 0”, it just won’t work. Simply stick to using +score, -score, +showscores and -showscores and you won’t have any problem.

There are no extra functions for the score commands, regardless of the argument you use. If you want to explore other ways you can customize the HUD in CS:GO and CS2, we invite you to check our article on all the HUD commands available in the game, along with instructions on how to use them.

If you’d like to check examples on how not to use the score commands, which implies assigning an argument for them, we invite you to check the section “Examples on How to Use the Score Commands” to dive deeper into this subject.

No rocket science here – this is how the score commands work in CS:GO and CS2, and so you can start using them today, we invite you to check our easy step-by-step tutorial below.

How to Use the Score Commands in CS:GO and CS2

Using the score commands via console in CS:GO and CS2 is much easier than you think, and here’s how you can do it:

1. Hit the “~” key to open the console
2. Input +score or +showscores if you want to display the scoreboard permanently, and if you want to hide it, use -score or -showscores
3. Press “Enter”
4. It will execute the chosen command instantly, either displaying the scoreboard permanently or hiding it

As you can see, using the score commands is pretty easy and simple. Simply decide what you want to do with the scoreboard, choose the right command, input it via console, press “Enter” and it will execute the corresponding function correctly.

However, you will only be able to do this if you have previously activated the developer console. If you haven’t done it yet, here’s how you can do it:

1. Launch CS:GO
2. Go to the game settings
3. Find “Enable Developer Console” and set it to “Yes”
4. Now you can launch the developer console by hitting the “~” key

Once you have activated the developer console, just hit the “~” key, follow the steps from 2 to 4 from the previous tutorial, and you will be able to use the score commands as you wish, be it to display or hide the scoreboard. 

Remember the developer console will remain enabled for as long as it’s set to “Yes” under the game setting, allowing you to not only use the score commands, as well as any of the other commands supported by CS:GO and CS2.

Now that we have covered the basics of how to use the score commands via console in CS:GO and CS2, we invite you to check the next tutorial, where we will teach you how to bind the commands. This will make your life much easier, as you will be able to display or hide the scoreboard whenever you wish to, by simply clicking a key.

Tutorial on How to Bind the Score Commands in CS:GO and CS2

As we’ve mentioned before, you can bind the score commands to a key, allowing you to show or hide the scoreboard with a single click instead of opening the developer console and typing the command each time.

Before we proceed, you need to choose a key to display the scoreboard, and a key to hide it. For the purpose of this tutorial, we will choose “M” for showing the scoreboard, and “B” to hide it. You can choose any keys of your preference.

Step by Step Instructions on How to Bind the Score Commands

Now that we have selected the keys for each function, here’s how you can find them to the score commands in the game:

1. Hit the “~” key to open the console
2. Input bind M “+score”
3. Input bind B “-score”

After doing this, you will be able to display the scoreboard by clicking “M”, and you can hide it by clicking “B”. If you wish, you can use the +showscores and -showscores commands instead, as they fulfill the same purposes.

You can do this at the start of the game, so you don’t have to worry about setting up this configuration in the middle of the match. You will be able to use the bind anytime you wish to, allowing you to display and hide the scoreboard at will.

If you want to use other keys, you’re free to do so. For example, if you wanted to bind the “L” and “P” keys, you’d simply need to follow these steps:

1. Hit the “~” key to open the console
2. Input bind L “+score”
3. Input bind P “-score”

We invite you to play around with different configurations, so you can use the keys you find more comfortable, especially if you have already used other binds. Find what works best for you, so you can use the binds comfortably and efficiently, especially if you are playing competitively.

However, we encourage you to invest time into setting up the key binds for the score commands, as it’s the most efficient way to use them, and in our opinion, it’s superior to just pressing on the TAB key, as it brings you more control, while allowing you to remain focused on the match.

Adding the Score Commands Bind to the Autoexec.cfg File

However, if you want to use this personalization permanently, we recommend you to add these commands to your autoexec.cfg file, or your preferred .cfg file, where you can also include other commands to customize your gameplay experience.

If you’d like to learn how to do this, you can check our tutorials on the autoexec.cfg file on the CSGOLuck blog, where you will find step-by-step instructions on how to add these and other commands, so they can be executed immediately upon launching the game.

Furthermore, if you want to create a separate .cfg file to run a custom configuration, especially if you want to add cheat commands that you can only run on private matches or servers that allow them, you can also find tutorials on how to do it on our blog.

If you opt for creating a separate .cfg file for launching these and other commands, it’s also worth checking out our article on how to use the “exec” command, so you can easily launch your custom configurations via console anytime you wish to.

Now that you know all about the score commands in CS:GO, let’s check some practical examples on how to use them, so you can have it all ready to start implementing it in your matches whenever you wish to.

Examples on How to Use the Score Commands

Although using the score commands is fairly easy, even if you have never used the developer console before, it’s always worth it to check some practical examples. Here you have a full list, so you can understand all about these commands to start using them in the game.

Display the Scoreboard Permanently

If you want to show the scoreboard permanently in CS:GO and CS2, you only need to input +score or +showscores via console. Then, press “Enter” and the game will show it automatically, and it will stick to the screen until you decide to hide it by using the other score commands designed for this exact purpose.

Hide the Scoreboard

If you want to hide the scoreboard, because you no longer want to display it permanently on the screen, all you need to do is to launch the developer console and input the following: -score. Automatically, it will remove the scoreboard from the screen. Alternatively, you use the -showscores and it will have the same effect, hiding the in-game scoreboard.

Incorrect Ways of Using the Score Commands

As we have previously mentioned, you need to use the commands as they are, without adding any argument. However, to make sure this concept is 100% clear, here you have a list of examples on how not to use the score commands in CS:GO and CS2:

• +score 0
• +score 1
• -score 0
• -score 1
• +showscores 1
• +showscores 0
• -showscores 1
• -showscores 0
• +score true
• +score false
• -score true
• -score false
• +showscores true
• +showscores false
• -showscores true
• -showscores false
• +score enable
• +score disable
• -score enable
• -score disable
• +showscores enable
• +showscores disable
• -showscores enable
• -showscores disable

Therefore, at this point it should be totally clear that you cannot use any sort of arguments for the score commands. Use them as cvar variables inputting them directly via console and they will work as intended without problems.

By now, you should be able to use the score commands without any problems. However, if you want to dive even deeper into the subject, we invite you to check the next section, where we will answer the most frequently asked questions about +score, -score, +showscores and -showscores.

F.A.Q

If you’d like to explore more details about the score commands in CS:GO and CS2, below you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about them.

How to see scoreboard CS:GO?

You can see the scoreboard in CS:GO by pressing on the TAB key, and it will display it temporarily. If you want to display it permanently, you need to use the +score or +showscores commands via console, and you can hide it by inputting -score or -showscores.

What is the command for the scoreboard in CS:GO?

The command for the scoreboard in CS:GO is +score. After inputting it via console, it will display the scoreboard permanently. For this same purpose, you can also use +showscores, and it will have the same result in the game.

Where can I get CS2 stats?

If you want to get your CS2 stats in the match, you can do it by launching the scoreboard. You can accomplish this by pressing on the TAB key to display it temporarily, and if you want to show it permanently, you can use the +score or +showscores commands via console. You will get stats such as number of kills and deaths, MVP medals, along with other data.

How to see scoreboard CS2 permanently?

If you want to see the scoreboard CS2 permanently, you need to input the +score or +showscores commands via console. Upon inputting them and pressing “Enter”, the game will automatically fix the scoreboard to the screen permanently, until you deactivate it by inputting -score or -showscores.

How to hide scoreboard in CS:GO?

If you want to hide the scoreboard in CS:GO, all you need to do is to input -score or -showscores via console. Automatically, upon pressing “Enter”, the game will deactivate the permanent display of the in-game scoreboard. If you wish to show it again, you need to launch the console, input +score and it will be displayed permanently.

How do I bind scoreboard to tab in console?

If you are experiencing this bug that won’t allow you to see the scoreboard when pressing on the TAB key, you can fix it by inputting the following via console: bind “TAB” “+scores”. Alternatively, you can use the +showscores command.

Are the CSGO score commands cheat protected?

No, the CSGO score commands are not cheat protected. It is possible to input +score, -score, +showscores or -showscores without having to input “sv_cheats 1” beforehand. Therefore, you can use them without restrictions in online, offline, public and private matches to show and hide the scoreboard.

Is using the score commands a better way to display the scoreboard than just pressing TAB?

It depends on your preferences and goals. If you want to display the scoreboard momentarily, you can stick to pressing the TAB key. However, if you want to display it permanently, you need to use the score commands, especially since you can bind them to show and hide the scoreboard at will.