How to Keep Score in Baseball: A Comprehensive Guide

Whether you’re playing in the 18+, 32+, 50+, or Classic Division, accurate scorekeeping is essential for maintaining clear, reliable statistics throughout the season. With hundreds of players competing each year, precise scoring helps enhance player experience, track performance accurately, and even resolve friendly debates on the field.

Good scorekeeping is more than just marking runs and outs; it’s a fundamental part of baseball culture that enriches your appreciation of the game. It allows teams and players to analyze their strengths, identify areas for improvement, and provides historical records that contribute to league camaraderie and pride.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about keeping score in a paper scorebook. From basic scoring techniques to understanding hits versus errors, deciphering a fielder’s choice, and correctly tracking substitutions like pinch hitters and pinch runners, you’ll find practical tips and clear explanations to help make scorekeeping simple, effective, and enjoyable.

One thing to keep in mind is that almost all of the choices in scorekeeping come down to “in the scorer’s opinion”. That means whoever is keeping score should always be comparing what he’s watching to the average, expected level of play he sees around the league. This is especially helpful when it comes to deciding if something is an error, and if it will be an earned run or not.

Basics of Keeping Score in Baseball

What You Need:

• Baseball Scorebook: A dedicated baseball scorebook is essential. These are widely available at sporting goods stores or online, with popular brands like Rawlings, Franklin, and Wilson providing clear, easy-to-use layouts.
• Pencil: Always use a pencil so you can easily correct mistakes. Baseball can be unpredictable, and scoring often requires quick changes. Mechanical pencils are cheap and don’t get dull like traditional pencils allowing you to keep your book easy to read.
• Lineup Cards: Coaches usually provide a lineup card before each game. This lists the batting order and the player’s positions as well as their uniform number, making it easier to organize your scorebook accurately. You don’t have to wait until the meeting at home plate to get this, ask the opposing scorekeeper as early as possible, and brings you lineup for him.

Understanding the Scorebook:

A standard baseball scorebook typically features a grid that tracks innings horizontally and player at-bats vertically. Each player is listed in batting order, with rows for tracking their performance during the game. Baseball positions are represented numerically:

• Pitcher (1)
• Catcher (2)
• First baseman (3)
• Second baseman (4)
• Third baseman (5)
• Shortstop (6)
• Left fielder (7)
• Center fielder (8)
• Right fielder (9)

Familiarizing yourself with this numeric shorthand simplifies notation and communication during games. By understanding these basics, you’ll set yourself up to accurately track every play and ensure meaningful statistics for your team.

The Fundamentals: Recording Plays

Basic Scoring Symbols

• Hits: Single (1B), Double (2B), Triple (3B), Home Run (HR)
• Strikeouts: Swinging strikeout (K), Called strikeout (backward K)
• Walks and Hit by Pitch: Walk (BB), Hit by Pitch (HBP)
• Outs: Fly outs (F), Ground outs (noted by position numbers, e.g., 6-3), Line drives (L), Pop-ups (P)
• Runs Batted In (RBI)

Advanced Scoring Symbols

• Stolen Bases: Stolen base (SB)
• Wild Pitch and Passed Ball: Wild pitch (WP), Passed ball (PB)
• Balk: Balk (BK)

Clearly and consistently using these symbols is crucial for accurate record-keeping. Keeping these notations standardized helps in easily interpreting scores and ensuring statistics remain clear throughout the season.

Runs Batted In

It can be hard to reconstruct exactly what happened on a specific play after the fact. Even looking at the scorebook a few hours later can leave you with questions about who scored on what hit. Marking down RBIs in the moment is crucial. If two runners score on a base hit, the runner is credited with 2 RBIs, that’s simple. The most common exceptions are when a batter reaches base as a result of an error or grounds into double play. However, players also receive an RBI for a bases-loaded walk or hit by pitch. Players can even earn RBIs when they make outs and a runner scores, like a sacrifice fly or even a run-of-the-mill ground out.

Determining Hits vs. Errors

What Qualifies as a Hit?

A hit is awarded when a batter reaches base safely due to a well-placed ball or solid hit that fielders cannot reasonably field cleanly. Examples include cleanly hit ground balls, line drives, and hits to the gaps or over the outfielders’ heads.

What Qualifies as an Error?

An error is recorded when a fielder doesn’t make a play on what an average player in our league would have. Typical errors include dropped catches, errant throws, bobbled ground balls, and misplays on easily fieldable balls.

Judgment Calls:

Scorekeepers often face judgment calls on borderline plays. When unsure, ask yourself if an average fielder in your age division normally make the play under similar conditions. Consistency and fairness in these calls enhance credibility and accuracy in your team’s statistics.

Understanding Fielder’s Choice

A fielder’s choice (FC) occurs when a defensive player chooses to make a play on another baserunner rather than the batter, allowing the batter to safely reach base. It’s important to note that even though the batter reaches base safely, it is not scored as a hit.

Common Fielder’s Choice Scenarios:

• A ground ball to the shortstop who throws to second base to force out a runner advancing from first.
• A third baseman opting to throw home for a potential out rather than getting the batter out at first base.

Recording Fielder’s Choice:

Clearly mark “FC” in the batter’s scorebook box, and note the position numbers involved in the play (e.g., FC 6-4). This clarity ensures accurate tracking and helps differentiate between hits and strategic defensive plays.

Tracking Substitutions

Accurately tracking substitutions is crucial for maintaining clear game records and player statistics. In some divisions you should also track A/B players who are sharing a position in your batting order.

Pinch Hitters:

When a pinch hitter enters the game, clearly record the player’s name and indicate “PH” next to their entry in the scorebook. Ensure the pinch hitter’s performance is recorded under their own entry rather than the original player’s.

Pinch Runners:

Pinch runners replace another runner already on base. Note the pinch runner’s name and clearly mark “PR” next to their entry. Tracking these substitutions carefully ensures accurate baserunning statistics and clarifies who scored runs during the game.

Keeping Pitching Statistics

Accurate pitching statistics include innings pitched (IP), hits allowed (H), runs (R), earned runs (ER), walks (BB), and strikeouts (K). Mark pitching changes clearly, and differentiate between earned and unearned runs.

It’s important to mark down when a pitcher is removed from a game, especially if it happens during the inning.

If a pitcher is replaced after allowing a runner to reach base, and that runner scores, the pitcher who allowed him to reach base is responsible for that (earned or unearned) run.

Although not required, over the past 20 years, keeping track of how many pitches are thrown has become common. The theory is that a pitcher only has so much gas in the tank (or pitches in his arm) and as he throws more, the fatigue will cause him to become easier to hit. That’s why in the MLB you rarely see a starting pitcher throw over 100 pitches.

Keeping track of “long innings” (over 20-25 pitches) can also be helpful for a manager in assessing the overall health of the pitcher.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Common mistakes include incorrect substitutions, confusing hits with errors, and inconsistent symbol usage. Always update your scorebook immediately after each play to maintain accuracy.

Final Thoughts

Accurate scorekeeping significantly enhances your baseball experience. Almost every scorebook includes a page at the very beginning with an overview of how you’re supposed to use that specific book – use that cheat sheet to help you figure out the best way to keep score for your team.

Every scorekeeper has their own style – as long as you’re keeping a record that is accurate and explainable, that’s the goal.

The other choice is an electronic version, like GameChanger, but that’s a whole different article.

Let me know what I missed in the comments.