Floor covering consisting of hard panels, whereby these panels are provided with coupling means on at least two opposite edges made in one piece with the panels, as a result of which several of such panels can be mutually coupled to one another, whereby these coupling means provide for an interlocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering, as well as in a direction perpendicular to the edges concerned, and parallel to the plane of the floor covering, and whereby: - the above-mentioned coupling means comprise a tongue and a groove, whereby this groove is bordered by a lip on the bottom side, the top side respectively, hereafter called the lower lip and the upper lip respectively; - the lower lip is longer than the upper lip; - there is an interlocking part on the part of the lower lip which extends past the free end of the upper lip, with a contact surface which, when coupled, works in conjunction with a contact surface which is provided on the other panel, thereby defining an interlocking zone; - before the above-mentioned interlocking part, in the direction of the groove, is formed a space in the lower lip which is open on the top side; wherein the coupling means are made such that the panels can be assembled by pushing them towards one another, and wherein in the bottom side of the part onto which the tongue is provided, and which extends from the tip of the tongue up to the interlocking zone, an excavation is provided, said excavation towards the tip of the tongue being limited by a downwardly extending portion such that, when assembling the panels, this excavation co-operates with the interlocking part in a position in which the tongue is situated in front of the groove to better position the tongue in the height direction relative to the groove, as a result of which the panels may be subsequently coupled by pushing them together; said downwardly extending portion, in said position wherein the excavation co-operates with said interlocking part, downwardly overhanging the interlocking part, characterized in that the interlocking in horizontal direction in the direction perpendicular to the edges concerned, and parallel to the plane of the floor covering, only takes place between the lower side of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip, and in that said lower lip comprises only one single interlocking part, such that said interlocking in the horizontal direction is effected by only one contact surface at the tongue, which cooperates with one contact surface at the lower lip. - the above-mentioned coupling means comprise a tongue and a groove, whereby this groove is bordered by a lip on the bottom side, the top side respectively, hereafter called the lower lip and the upper lip respectively; - the lower lip is longer than the upper lip; - there is an interlocking part on the part of the lower lip which extends past the free end of the upper lip, with a contact surface which, when coupled, works in conjunction with a contact surface which is provided on the other panel, thereby defining an interlocking zone; - before the above-mentioned interlocking part, in the direction of the groove, is formed a space in the lower lip which is open on the top side;