How to keep score in baseball or softball

The four-step quick start

You do not need to memorize every scorekeeping symbol before the first pitch.

1. Set the game. Choose baseball or softball, enter the teams, and confirm the game’s innings and local rules. Use Quick Score for runs and innings, or prepare the batting order for a Full Scorebook.
2. Record the batter’s result. Start with what happened: hit, walk, strikeout, out in the field, error, sacrifice, or another play.
3. Place every runner. For the batter and each runner, record whether they advanced, held, scored, or were put out.
4. Check the line. Confirm runs, outs, and occupied bases before saving. Saving a third-out play moves the scorecard to the next half-inning.

What the scorebook is tracking

A scorecard is the game’s ledger. Each row follows a spot in the batting order; each inning column holds that batter’s plate appearances.

Plate appearance

One batter’s turn at the plate, ending in a hit, walk, out, error, sacrifice, or another result.

Half-inning

The top or bottom of an inning, when one team bats until three outs are recorded.

Line score

Runs by inning, followed by the game totals for runs, hits, and errors.

Runner path

The route a runner took around the bases, including where the runner stopped, scored, or was put out.

Common calls and notation

Use plain language when you are learning. The familiar scorebook code will still be there when you want it.

1B / 2B / 3B — Hit

Single, double, or triple. Put the batter on the matching base, then resolve every other runner.

HR — Home run

Home run. The batter and every runner on base score; the bases clear.

BB / HBP — Batter reaches

Walk or hit by pitch. The batter takes first; advance only runners who are forced.

K / ꓘ — Strikeout

Strikeout swinging or looking. Usually one out. An uncaught third strike can change the batter’s status when your rules permit it; record the actual outcome.

6–3 / F8 — Out in the field

Groundout from shortstop to first, or flyout to center. Record the out and any runner movement.

E / FC — Reach or out

Error or fielder’s choice. Identify who reached, who was put out, and where the other runners finished.

SF / SAC — Sacrifice

Sacrifice fly or sacrifice bunt. Record the batter’s result and each runner’s destination; use your competition’s scoring rules to decide whether sacrifice credit applies.

SB / CS — Baserunning

Stolen base or caught stealing. This can happen between plate appearances; update the runner and outs.

Where did the runners end up?

Resolve every runner who was on base before the play, then place the batter.

• Scored
• Advanced to a base
• Held on the same base
• Out on the play

Example: single with a runner on second — batter to first; runner from second scores or holds at third. Confirm the choice before saving the play.

Scorekeeping position numbers

1. Pitcher (P)
2. Catcher (C)
3. First baseman (1B)
4. Second baseman (2B)
5. Third baseman (3B)
6. Shortstop (SS)
7. Left fielder (LF)
8. Center fielder (CF)
9. Right fielder (RF)

These numbers identify defensive positions, not jersey numbers. In 6–3, the shortstop fields and throws to the first baseman for the out. F8 means a fly ball caught by the center fielder. A league using a fourth outfielder may use 10; agree on the convention before the game.

One half-inning, six batters

Top of the first. Cedar Grove bats against Meadow Park. Begin with nobody on and no outs.

A full inning has two halves. This example covers only the top half, ending at the third out.

Fictional teaching example. Runner destinations describe what happened in this example; a hit does not automatically determine where every runner ends up.

1. Avery · 1B

   Avery singles and stops at first.

   0 runs · 1 hits · 0 outs

2. Jordan · 2B

   Jordan doubles. Avery stops at third; Jordan stays at second.

   0 runs · 2 hits · 0 outs

3. Casey · 6-3

   Casey grounds out, shortstop to first. Avery and Jordan hold their bases.

   0 runs · 2 hits · 1 out

4. Morgan · 1B

   Morgan singles. Avery and Jordan score; Morgan stops at first.

   2 runs · 3 hits · 1 out

5. Riley · K

   Riley strikes out. Morgan stays at first.

   2 runs · 3 hits · 2 outs

6. Quinn · F8

   Quinn flies out to center. The third out ends the half-inning; Morgan is left on base.

   2 runs · 3 hits · 3 outs

2 runs · 3 hits · 0 errors · 1 left on base.

Avery and Jordan score on Morgan’s single. Morgan is stranded at first when Quinn makes the third out. The errors belong to the fielding team; Meadow Park made none in this example. Close Cedar Grove’s half-inning and begin the bottom of the first.

Start keeping score after a game has begun

You can keep a useful record from this point forward.

1. Confirm the current inning and half, score, outs, occupied bases, batter, and any count you actually know.
2. Use Start Mid-Game in Box Nine to set that starting state. Check it against the game in front of you before recording the next play.
3. Keep earlier plays and player totals unknown unless you have a reliable record. A known score is not proof of who hit, reached base, or drove in a run.
4. For a paper scorebook, mark where your record begins and write the known starting state beside it. Do not fill earlier boxes with guessed plays.

What changes for softball?

The record follows the same batter-and-runner rhythm; the rules for the play can differ.

• Confirm fastpitch or slow-pitch rules, innings or time limit, batting order, and any run limit before the game.
• Check the rules for courtesy runners, substitutions, re-entry, and any extra-inning runner. Note when a runner is placed by rule rather than reaching on a hit.
• Do not assume baseball rules for stealing, bunting, hit by pitch, or an uncaught third strike apply to every softball division. Follow the umpire’s ruling and your competition’s current rulebook.

Keep a reference beside the game

The scorekeeper’s cheat sheet

Position numbers, common scorekeeping symbols, and a six-batter half-inning example in a printable PDF. No email or account required.

Open the printable PDF

One half-inning, six batters: how to keep score

61 seconds · Original teaching animation with AI narration. All names and plays are fictional.

Voiceover Generated with AIDOCMAKER.COM

Scorekeeping questions, answered

What do I write for a groundout from shortstop to first?

Write 6–3: position 6 is shortstop and position 3 is first base. Add an out and separately record what happened to runners already on base.

Does a single move every runner one base?

No. “Single” describes the batter’s hit. Existing runners may hold, take one or more bases, score, or be put out. Record the destinations you observed; do not infer them from the hit alone.

How do I count runs, hits, errors, and runners left on base?

Runs are runners who legally score. Hits are credited base hits. Errors are fielding mistakes charged under the applicable scoring rules, not every unsuccessful play. Runners left on base remain stranded when the half-inning ends. In this example, Cedar Grove scores 2 runs on 3 hits, Meadow Park makes 0 errors, and Morgan is the 1 runner left on base.

Is reaching on an error the same as a hit?

No. A batter can reach safely without being credited with a hit. Record the play and base result first, then apply the competition’s scoring standard for a hit, error, or fielder’s choice. If you are learning, note uncertainty and review it with the designated scorer.

Do I have to track every pitch?

No. A useful result-by-result scorebook can record each plate appearance and runner movement without the ball-strike count. Box Nine’s Full Scorebook supports optional count detail; Quick Score suits a lighter record of runs and innings.

Can I begin after the game has started?

Yes. Record the current game state and clearly mark where your observations begin. Box Nine’s Start Mid-Game is designed for this. Unknown earlier plays and player totals should stay unknown.

Does Box Nine sync the website with the iPhone app?

No automatic sync is available. iPhone games stay on that iPhone, and Box Nine Lite games stay in the browser used to score them. Contact support before moving devices, reinstalling the app, or clearing local data.

About this guide and its sources

Prepared by Box Nine. The half-inning example is an original fictional teaching example, not a recorded game or a product screenshot. General notation is grounded in the linked primary sources. Your competition’s current rules and designated scorer govern official records. Box Nine is independent and is not endorsed by these organizations.

Updated October 17, 2026. Prepared by Box Nine.

• Little League: The Basics of Scorekeeping — Defensive position numbers, scorecard notation, and a beginner’s scoring workflow.
• USA Softball: Official Rulebook — Current softball rules and scoring provisions; use the edition and division that govern your game.
• Little League: Playing Rules — Division-specific rule resources for participating leagues.

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