Learning to score a baseball game can be a little intimidating, but don’t flip out, it’s not rocket science! You can do this once you understand what is going on. This sheet will help you with the basics of scoring a game. Once you understand the basic principles, I highly recommend you give it a try, it provides interaction with the game in a way you’ve probably never realized!

Each position comes with its own number. This is how you record who made the out, or what combination of players made the out. The numbers are as follows.

• 1 = pitcher (P)
• 2 = catcher (C)
• 3 = First Base (1B)
• 4 = Second Base (2B)
• 5 = Third Base (3B)
• 6 = Short Stop (SS)
• 7= Left Field (LF)
• 8= Center Field (CF)
• 9= Right Field (RF) 
  

You use these numbers in the scoring box.

• For example a grounder caught by the third baseman and thrown out at first is referred to as a 5-3.
• A grounder caught by the second baseman and thrown out at first is a 4-3.
• A grounder where the short stop catches it and just steps on second for an out is called a 6U (for unassisted).
• If the right field catches a fly ball for an out it is just a 9. And so on…

ABBREVIATIONS

• 1B = Single
• 2B = Double
• 3B = Triple
• HR = Homerun
• BB = Walk (base on balls)
• RBI = Run Batted In
• K = strikeout swinging
• Backward K = strikeout looking
• DP = double play
• FC = fielder’s choice (this is when a hitter hits a ball which allows him to get to base, but gets a team mate out, such as the man running to second. The batter is not given a hit, it is recorded as a FC)
• E = error (any time a fielder fails to make a routine expected play. The batter is not awarded a hit, it is an E)
• SB = stolen base (any time a player steals a base without an error by the pitcher or catcher)
• CS = caught stealing (when the runner is thrown out)
• U = unassisted (the fielder made an out on a ground ball without any help)
• SAC = sacrifice (this is when a batter advances runners through a fly ball or a bunt, even though they are out, they are awarded a sacrifice)
• WP = wild pitch (a pitch that the catcher could not be expected to catch – pitcher’s error)
• PB = passed ball (a pitch the catcher missed, but should have caught – catcher’s error)
• HB = hit batter (a batter was awarded a base after being hit by a pitch)

These numbers are recorded on the center of the diamond or as an explanation on the base path as to why the hitter is on base, or why they are out. The following diagrams will explain.

A batter hits a single.

• A line is drawn showing where the ball went
• 1B is written in the center (or bottom right corner)
• A line is drawn filling between home and first

The next batter hits another single.

• Same as above for second batter.
• Then move the previous batter over to 2B as they advanced.

   

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The third batter strikes out.

• If he strikes out swinging it is a forward K
• If he strikes out looking it is a backward K
• The other batters don’t move

Then let’s suppose a wild pitch allows both runners on base to advance.

• The runners are shown to advance with a WP indicating why.

   

The next batter gets a single, and both previous runners score.

• The first runners complete the diamond and it is filled in indicating a run. The hitter gets credit for 2 RBI

   

At this point, the hitting team has 1 out, a man on 1st and they have scored two runs.

Let’s suppose the next batter hits into a fielder’s choice to the shortstop who throws it to the second baseman.

• He gets a red line to first, but it does not say 1B, it says FC
• The runner on first gets a line half way with a stop indicating he was put out
• 6-4 indicates the shortstop threw the ball to the second baseman for the out.

  
  

At this point there are 2 outs with one man on first.

Now the next batter hits a fly ball out to the center fielder.

• The only thing that is recorded is an 8 (center fielder’s number)
• The inning is over (3 outs), draw a line below this hitter indicating the end of the inning.

   

Tally the number of runs, hits, errors, etc. at the bottom of the page. On to the next inning!