How to Keep Score in a Baseball Game

Home runs like this one hit by Albert Pujols are recorded as HR in a scorecard.

Perhaps more than any other sport, baseball is a game of numbers. Those numbers start with a scorecard. While some details change, most scorekeepers have a series of numbers, and letters, that make their scores simple to read and understand.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pen/pencil
• Baseball game

Instructions

1. Divide a score sheet into two sides, one for each team. There must be at least nine spots on the original sheet to represent all nine active players.

2. Write the name of each active player, and possibly his number, in the scorecard to match the batting order. Simply put, the first batter up goes first, and last batter up goes ninth. Fill in the position that batter plays in the field to the right of his name. According to all baseball scorekeepers, the positions in order are 1 (pitcher), 2 (catcher), 3 (first base), 4 (second base), 5 (third base), 6 (shortstop), 7 (left field), 8 (center field) and 9 (right field). In some leagues, a designated hitter replaces the pitcher as a batter. Use DH for that position.

3. Make at least 10 vertical columns to the right of the batter names. This list represents the innings of the game.

4. Chart what each batter does in each inning. For example, in column No. 1, for inning one, only make notes for the batters that appear in that inning. If the team makes three outs, the fourth batter's record will appear in the second column that represents inning No. 2.

5. Follow traditional baseball shorthand to record the batter's actions. If the batter singles, write 1B. A double is 2B, a triple is 3B and a home run is HR. If the batter strikes out, write SK. Outs are recorded according to what position made the put-out. For example, any batter retired by a ball thrown to the first baseman will have his score ended with "3." The player who threw the ball is noted at the front end of the score. For example, a ground ball out to third is recorded as 5-3. If a batter steals a base, write SB in the box. If he is caught stealing, write CS. If the batter reaches on a walk, write BB (base on balls). If he reaches on an intentional walk, write IBB, and if he reaches on an error, write E plus the number of the position player that made the error. For example, if the third baseman made the error, the batter's scorecard should say E-5.

6. Record a run as an R, and a run batted in as RBI.

Tips & Warnings

• Some scorecards come with a diamond drawn in the inning boxes. Diamonds are useful in two ways. If the batter reaches, drawn a line from the lower point of the diamond to the first base side to represent his progress. A batter who comes all the way around to score would have a line all around the diamond. Whatever the batter did to reach base is reflected within the diamond.

• Advanced scorekeepers will also reflect the direction of any hits. For a single to left field, instead of 1B the scorekeeper will write 1B-7. Scorekeepers may also reflect a strikeout looking with a K and a strike swinging with a backwards K, or SK.

References

• Baseball Scorecard