Minecraft wiki entry for stats, associated text: The stats command allows "selectors" and "objectives" to be set (or cleared) for each of these command stats for specific blocks or entities. Selectors (for example, @e) are stored exactly as entered, and don't get evaluated immediately. When a command is later run by the block or entity, the stored selector is then used to target (other) entities and update their scoreboard objective with the value of the command stat. That value can then be displayed or operated on, just like any other scoreboard value.