In an Olympic first and rarity, the 1-2-3 finish of the 1908 Games was duplicated four years later. The tournament, which grew to 11 teams, started the practice of playing the games in venues outside the main Olympic city. Matches were also hosted in Rasunda and Traneburg.

Great Britain, who received a first-round bye, cruised to a 7-0 triumph over Hungary behind Harold Walden's six goals, and then he scored all four in a 4-0 victory over Finland. Denmark also enjoyed a relatively easy route, defeating Norway, 7-0, on the second match day, and then downing the Netherlands, 4-1, in the semi-finals. Great Britain again ruled over the Danes in the gold-medal match, scoring all their goals in the opening half of a 4-2 win as Gordon Hoare tallied twice and Arthur Berry and Walden had one apiece before 25,000 at Olympic Stadium. Ole Anthon Olsen scored in each half for the Danes, who played without one of their top scorers, Poul Nielsen, and lost midfielder Charles Buchwald, who was forced off with an injury15 minutes into the game. Because substitutions were not allowed at the time, Denmark were forced to play the remainder of the match with only ten men. Walden, who finished with eleven goals, was the leading scorer of the teams that participated through the medal round. In the bronze-medal match, the Dutch romped past Finland, 9-0, as Jan Vos scored five goals.

Because there was no group play and teams had been eliminated after playing only one or two games in the previous competition, a consolation tournament was added, although no medals were awarded for the top three finishers. In one match, Germany defeated Russia, 16-0, as Gottfried Fuchs duplicated Sophus Nielsen's feat of scoring ten goals in a match. The Russian Czar was so upset with the margin of the defeat, he reportedly refused to pay for the players' return journey home.

Hungary prevailed over Austria, 3-0, in the consolation game.