How to Calculate Softball Fielding Errors

The official scorekeeper in softball is responsible for deciding how to score the different plays that take place in a softball game. She keeps the scorebook and tracks runs, hits and errors as the game unfolds in front of her. The decision to award an error is sometimes a difficult one, but the official scorekeeper's decision as recorded in the book is the final one. It is used to calculate statistics after the game, including the hitter's batting average, the fielder's fielding percentage and the pitcher's earned run average.

Things You'll Need

  • Scorebook
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Instructions

  1. Batted Ball

    • 1

      Sit in a place from which you can see the entire field and watch the play as it happens on the diamond in front of you.

    • 2

      Observe each play carefully. Decide if the ball that was put into play by the batter should have been played into an out by a defensive player in the field. The standard for deciding between a hit and an error is subjective, and it is your prerogative to determine which ruling stands on the batted ball.

    • 3

      Record an error in the scorebook if the fielder should have caught the ball but failed to do so. The record should indicate the position number of the player that missed the ball. The pitcher is No. 1, the catcher is 2, first base is 3, second base is 4, third base is 5, shortstop is 6, left field is 7, center field is 8 and right field is 9.

    • 4

      Indicate in the scorebook the base the batter reached on the mishandled ball.

    Thrown Ball

    • 5

      Watch the play as it continues when a fielder cleanly plays the ball. There is still a chance that, during the course of the play, an error could take place on a ball being thrown from one fielder to another.

    • 6

      Determine if the thrown ball was missed because of a bad throw or a missed catch when a thrown ball does get away. Record the error in the scorebook using the same numerical system to indicate the player committing the error.

    • 7

      Indicate in the scorebook which bases the base runners reached on the throwing error and then get ready for the next batter.

    • 8

      Record the total number of errors committed in each inning at the bottom of the scorebook pages. Total the errors from each inning to get a game total of errors committed along with runs and hits for each team.