How to Score a Baseball Game by Hand?

If you’re a baseball fan, you’ve probably wondered how to score a game by hand. It’s not as difficult as it might seem, and it’s a great way to really understand the game. Here’s a step-by-step guide to scoring a baseball game by hand.

Introduction

In baseball, the scorekeeper is the official who is responsible for recording all the events that occur during the game. This includes everything from the number of runs scored to the number of strikeouts. The scorekeeper also keeps track of the batters, who come to bat in what order and what their current batting statistics are.

The Two Types of Scorecards

When you’re learning how to score a baseball game, the first thing you need to understand is that there are two types of scorecards: thetraditional and the simplified. The traditional scorecard is the one that has been used for generations, and it can be quite confusing for those who are new to scoring baseball games. The simplified scorecard is, well, simpler. It was designed with the beginning scorer in mind, and it makes scoring a game much easier.

Which scorecard you use is up to you. If you’re just starting out, we recommend using the simplified scorecard. Once you get the hang of it, you can switch to the traditional scorecard if you’d like.

How to Score a Game Using the Standard Scorecard

The standard baseball scorecard has been used for over a century (1972, to be exact), and while it has undergone some cosmetic changes, the core of the game scoring has remained the same. If you’re new to scoring a baseball game by hand, or just need a refresher, here’s a quick rundown of how it’s done.

Each row of the scorecard represents one inning, and each column represents one player. The home team is always listed at the bottom of the scorecard, and the visiting team is always listed at the top. As you score each inning, you’ll fill in the diamond-shaped boxes in each player’s column with their batting results for that inning.

There are four possible outcomes for each plate appearance: out, single, double, triple, or home run. When an out is recorded, simply leave that box blank. For all other batting outcomes, draw a line from the bottom of the box to indicate how far the batter ran:

One line for a single
Two lines for a double
Three lines for a triple
Four lines for a home run

Once all three outs have been recorded for an inning, that half-inning is complete and you can move on to scoring the next inning.

How to Score a Game Using the Line Scorecard

The line scorecard is the traditional way to score a baseball game. A completed line scorecard will look something like this:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R H E
LOB
Home 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 3 7 12 1 11
Away 0 2 1 1 0 2 0 x 6 10 0 9

Line Scorecard: A completed line scorecard will look something like this.

Inning boxes: These are where you will record what happens during each inning. The top row of boxes correspond to the home team’s innings, while the bottom row corresponds to the away team’s innings. Each box represents one inning. So, for example, the first box in the top row (1) is the first inning for the home team, while the first box in the bottom row (1) is the first inning for the away team.

Runs (R), hits(H), and errors(E): These are abbreviations for runs scored, hits, and errors. runs scored and hits should be self-explanatory; an error is a play that should have been made but wasn’t, resulting in one or more baserunners being allowed to advance further than they otherwise would have. For example, if a ball is hit to the shortstop, who then throws late to first base trying to retire the batter, that would be counted as an error.

Left on base (LOB): This indicates how many runners were left on base at the end of each inning.

How to Score a Game Using the Box Scorecard

The box score is a record of the game played, showing what happened during the game as it unfolded. The completed box score looks like a checkerboard, with the away team’s runs scored in the top half and the home team’s runs scored in the bottom half. Each row represents an inning, and each column represents an out. The columns are labeled 1-2-3 for the first three outs of an inning, and 4 for any subsequent out. If a baserunner is caught stealing, that is recorded as an out in the column corresponding to the out number of the inning (e.g., if a runner is caught stealing second base with one out in the inning, that is recorded as a 2 in the 4 column).

To score a game by hand, you will need a pencil and a copy of the day’s lineups for both teams (available at www.retrosheet.org). You will also need to know the rules of scoring, which are explained below.

As each play occurs, write down what happened in shorthand notation. For example, if a batter hits a single, write “1B.” If he hits a double, write “2B.” If he hits a triple, write “3B.” If he hits a home run, write “HR.” If he strikes out, write “K.” If he walks, write “BB.” Other abbreviations are used for other events such as sacrifice bunts (S) and sacrifice flies (SF). A complete list of abbreviations can be found here: www.retrosheet.org/scoringAbbrs.htm

Once you have written down what happened on each play, transfer that information to the appropriate boxes on the scorecard. For example, if a batter hits a home run with no one on base, you would record that as follows:

Inning 1
Away 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Top Bottom
Batter Result Batter Result
1B HR 1B K

Inning 2

Away 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1
Top Bottom
Batter Result Batter Result

How to Score a Game Using the Play-By-Play Scorecard

If you’re a baseball fan, you’ve probably dreamed of keeping score at a game. Maybe you’ve even tried it, only to find that it’s not as easy as it looks. Keeping score is a great way to immerse yourself in the game and understand all the little details that make baseball such a fascinating sport. Plus, it’s a lot of fun!

Here’s a quick primer on how to score a baseball game by hand. For more detailed instructions, check out our printable scorecard.

1. detect the current inning and mark it in the upper left-hand corner of the scorecard;
2. identify which team is up to bat and write their name in the appropriate column;
3. for each batter, write their number in the left-hand column and their name in the right-hand column;
4. for each pitch, note what type of pitch was thrown in the appropriate column (e.g., ball, strike, hit, out);
5. if the batter gets on base, mark it with an X in the appropriate column;
6. if the baserunner advances, mark it with an arrow in the appropriate column;
7. if there are two outs in an inning, mark it with a double slash (//) in the play-by-play columns;
8. when three outs are reached, move on to scoring the next inning; and
9. at the end of nine innings (or extra innings), tally up the runs scored by each team and write them down in the appropriate boxes at the bottom of the scorecard

Conclusion

Scoring a baseball game by hand is a great way to keep track of the action and get a feel for the strategy of the game. It’s not as difficult as it might seem at first, and you can score anything from a friendly game to a professional one. All you need is a scorecard and something to write with.

To score a baseball game by hand, start by writing the names of the teams at the top of the scorecard. Then, fill in the names of the players in each position for both teams. For each inning, write down who is batting and what they did, such as “1B” for a single or “HR” for a home run. If someone strikes out, put an “X” in their box. At the end of the game, tally up the runs and declare a winner!