A sport score is a point scored by an athlete competing in a game. The athlete with the highest score is awarded a win. It may be a natural measure such as distance or time, or it may be an abstract quantity defined for the sport.

In many sports, the scoring process involves the use of judges. These judges are assigned a rating scale to measure performance. They are also monitored for their internal consistency. Sports governing bodies set quality control parameters for judge performance. Rasch analysis can provide feedback to judges.

Modern sports produce large amounts of detailed data. This data has allowed many quantitative analyses of individual sports. However, few studies have examined the fundamental processes that govern competitions.

Scores in professional sports are subject to few common patterns. A model of game tempo and balance makes accurate predictions of the outcomes of a game. Unlike in strategic games, the tempo of a game is relatively stable during gameplay.

Almost all tempo dynamics agree with a simple Poisson model. A slightly dispersive effect in timing is seen in NBA games.

A more complicated model, called a Markov, allows past events to influence gameplay dynamics. This model relies on balance patterns in scoring events to make accurate predictions of game outcomes.

The probability of scoring varies modestly throughout a game. The largest increase is expected in the final period. There are no significant differences between the minimum and intermediate gaps, although the number of long and intermediate gaps varies by sport.