Python rock paper scissors score counter

I am working on a rock paper scissors game. Everything seems to be working well except the win/loss/tie counter. I have looked at some of the other games people have posted on here and I still cannot get mine to work. I feel like I am soooooo close but I just can't get it! thanks for any help guys. this is my first time posting in here so I am sorry if I messed up the formatting.

I edited the code but still cannot get the program to recognize the counter without using global variables. at one point of my editing I managed to get it to count everything as a tie... i dont know how and I lost it somewhere along my editing. lol. -thanks again everyone!

here is what I get when I run the program:

Prepare to battle in a game of paper, rock, scissors!
Please input the correct number according
to the object you want to choose.
Select rock(1), paper(2), or scissors(3): 1
Computer chose PAPER .
You chose ROCK .
You lose!
Play again? Enter 'y' for yes or 'n' for no. y
Prepare to battle in a game of paper, rock, scissors!
Please input the correct number according
to the object you want to choose.
Select rock(1), paper(2), or scissors(3): 2
Computer chose PAPER .
You chose PAPER .
It's a tie!
Play again? Enter 'y' for yes or 'n' for no. y
Prepare to battle in a game of paper, rock, scissors!
Please input the correct number according
to the object you want to choose.
Select rock(1), paper(2), or scissors(3): 3
Computer chose SCISSORS .
You chose SCISSORS .
It's a tie!
Play again? Enter 'y' for yes or 'n' for no. n
Your total wins are 0 .
Your total losses are 0 .
Your total ties are 0 .

#import the library function "random" so that you can use it for computer 
#choice 
import random 

#define main 
def main(): 
    #assign win, lose, and tie to zero for tallying
    win = 0 
    lose = 0 
    tie = 0 

    #control loop with 'y' variable 
    play_again = 'y' 

    #start the game 
    while play_again == 'y': 
        #make a welcome message and give directions 
        print('Prepare to battle in a game of paper, rock, scissors!') 
        print('Please input the correct number according') 
        print('to the object you want to choose.') 

        #Get the player and computers choices and 
        #assign them to variables 
        computer_choice = get_computer_choice() 
        player_choice = get_player_choice() 

        #print choices 
        print('Computer chose', computer_choice, '.') 
        print('You chose', player_choice, '.') 

        #determine who won 
        winner_result(computer_choice, player_choice) 

        #ask the user if they want to play again 
        play_again = input("Play again? Enter 'y' for yes or 'n' for no. ") 

    #print results 
    print('Your total wins are', win, '.') 
    print('Your total losses are', lose, '.') 
    print('Your total ties are', tie, '.') 

#define computer choice 
def get_computer_choice(): 
    #use imported random function from library 
    choice = random.randint(1,3) 

    #assign what the computer chose to rock, paper, or scissors 
    if choice == 1: 
        choice = 'ROCK' 
    elif choice == 2: 
        choice = 'PAPER' 
    else: 
        choice = 'SCISSORS' 

    #return value 
    return choice 

#define player choice 
def get_player_choice(): 
    #assign input to variable by prompting user 
    choice = int(input("Select rock(1), paper(2), or scissors(3): ")) 

    #Detect invalid entry
    while choice != 1 and choice != 2 and choice != 3: 
        print('The valid numbers are rock(type in 1), paper(type in 2),') 
        print('or scissors(type in 3).') 
        choice = int(input('Enter a valid number please: ')) 

    #assign what the player chose based on entry 
    if choice == 1: 
        choice = 'ROCK' 
    elif choice == 2: 
        choice = 'PAPER' 
    else: 
        choice = 'SCISSORS' 

    #return value 
    return choice 

#determine the winner from the variables 
def winner_result(computer_choice, player_choice): 
    #if its a tie, add 1 to tie variable and display message 
    if computer_choice == player_choice:
        result = 'tie'
        print("It's a tie!")

    #if its a win, add to win tally and display message 
    elif computer_choice == 'SCISSORS' and player_choice == 'ROCK':
        result = 'win'
        print('ROCK crushes SCISSORS! You win!')
    elif computer_choice == 'PAPER' and player_choice == 'SCISSORS': 
        result = 'win'
        print('SCISSORS cut PAPER! You win!')
    elif computer_choice == 'ROCK' and player_choice == 'PAPER': 
        result = 'win'
        print('PAPER covers ROCK! You win!')

    #if it does not match any of the win criteria then add 1 to lose and 
    #display lose message 
    else: 
        result = 'lose'
        print('You lose!')

def result(winner_result,player_choice, computer_choice):

    # accumulate the appropriate winner of game total
    if result == 'win':
        win += 1
    elif result == 'lose':
        lose += 1
    else:
        tie += 1
    return result

main()

Solution

Your winner_result function returns before it increments the win counters. If you remove all the return statements from it, the counters should be updated. The return statements aren't needed anyway because the if/elif/else structure ensures that only one of the possible outcomes will be executed.

As Junuxx says in a comment, you also need to assign values to the winner_result variable properly, i.e. winner_result = 'win' instead of winner_result == 'win'. I'd also rename the winner_result variable or the function, because it's confusing to have both use the same name.

And the win/lose/tie variables are currently local, which means that main and winner_result will have their own copies of these variables, so main's values will always be zero. What you can do is make them global variables: Assign them to zero in the global scope (outside any function), and add the line global win, lose, tie inside the function winner_result.