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Step 1
Have a thorough understanding of the game. Watch plenty of baseball. Know things such as what an error is and how it affects the statistics of the game. Learning these things makes keeping score easier.
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Step 2
Write the team names at the top of the separate scorecards. Some scorecards are back-to-back while others are two individual pages. Writing the team name at the top avoids confusion. Some people write other information at the top as well, such as the time of first pitch and the date.
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Step 3
Learn which number stands for which player out in the field. Here are the standard numbers used for each defensive position:1 – Pitcher2 – Catcher3 – First Base4 – Second Base5 – Third Base 6 – Shortstop7 – Left Field8 – Center Field9 – Right FieldDH – Designated Hitter
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Step 4
Know the abbreviations used for standard baseball plays. Here is a list of some of those abbreviations:K – Strikeout (Backwards “K” means called out on strikes)FC – Fielder's ChoiceBB- Base on Balls (Walk)HR – Home RunHBP – Hit by PitchWP – Wild PitchBK – BalkPB – Passed BallSB – Stolen BaseDP – Double PlayE – ErrorSF – Sacrifice FlyFO – Force OutAs you better learn how to keep score, you may come up with your own set of abbreviations. Experiment with what best works for you while keeping score.
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Step 5
Write the lineups in the player rows on both scorecards. The opening lineups are announced before first pitch.
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Step 6
Create a baseball diamond in the box to show the batter's progression around the bases. For example, if the batter gets a single, "1B" in the center of the box. Then draw a line from the middle of the bottom line of the box to the middle of the right line of the box. If he advances to second on another play, draw the second part of the diamond. Connect the diamond to demonstrate that a run has been scored.
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Step 7
Use the numbers to signify outs that have occurred. If a third baseman throws to first for a force out, write "5-3." To show that the center fielder caught a fly ball, write the number "7." Keep it simple at first until you feel comfortable with your own system.
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Step 8
Keep track of the stats during the game. For example, there are boxes at the bottom of each inning for both hits and runs scored in the inning. Both scorecards also have boxes for pitchers and their stats. Use tick marks to show how many innings a pitcher was on the mound. You can also write the final number after that pitcher has left the game.
