AGA rules permit either method, chosen before the game, and both give the same result (AGA Rule 12):; Territory scoring: empty points you have surrounded, plus prisoners you hold; Area scoring: your stones on the board, plus the empty points you have surrounded
Why people argue about this
People often assume that choosing Territory scoring means counting all your surrounded points, including prisoners you've captured, which isn't entirely accurate; they forget that Area scoring counts only your stones on the board plus what's surrounded by them, ignoring prisoners. This oversight leads to disputes over how many points a player has at any given time during the game.
