How to Score Rare Plays in Baseball

With the advent of electronic scoreboards, keeping score in baseball has become less common than it was in the past. However, keeping score can give a fan a better connection to the action. It is also a vital tool for coaches to track the performance of his players. While you can keep score any way you want, there are commonly used symbols for most baseball plays.

Instructions

    • 1

      Keep track of interference calls when scoring. There are two types of interference. The first type, defensive interference, is when a runner comes into contact with a defensive player and is called out. Write INT on your score card and make a notation indicating the runner is out.

    • 2

      Score catcher's interference. The other type of interference occurs when the catcher gets in the way of a batter's swing, usually by sticking his glove too far forward. In this situation, the batter is awarded first base. To score this write INT, but draw a solid line from home plate to first base, indicating the batter reached base on interference.

    • 3

      Learn how to score unusual walk plays. A typical walk is scored BB for base on balls. However, when a batter advanced to first base after being hit with the baseball, write HBP for hit by pitch. Write IBB when a batter is walked intentionally.

    • 4

      Differentiate between wild pitches and passed balls. A wild pitch, noted by WP, is when the pitcher throws a pitch out of the catcher's reach and is not counted as an error. However, when the catcher misses a pitch he should have been able to reach, it is a passed ball, noted by PB. In the case of a passed ball, you should also write E-2 because the catcher is charged with an error on this play.

    • 5

      Note defensive indifference. Sometimes what looks like a stolen base is not actually a stolen base. When a runner attempts to steal a base, but the defense makes no attempt to get the runner out, the runner is not credited with a stolen base. For this play, write DI for defensive indifference instead of SB for stolen base.

    • 6

      Know the different ways to score different strikeouts in baseball scoring. Write K when the batter strikes out swinging, a backwards K when the batter strikes out looking and a Kb when the batter strikes out by fouling off a bunt attempt with two strikes. The rarest strikeout is when the batter strikes out, but the catcher drops the third strike and the batter successfully advances to first base. Score this Kd3.