HMB Little League Scorekeeping Basic information to track: Batting lineups Inning and score Balls, strikes, and outs Official game start time Pitchers and number of pitches thrown Help the coaches protect those young arms! Additional information to track: Plate appearances and advancing baserunners Record how outs were made
Recommended Equipment You should have Pencils (mechanical preferred) Separate eraser (you will use it!) Clipboard Watch (official start time) It s nice to have Chair or cushion Gloves (hey, it s Smith Field) Umbrella if possibly rainy
Position Numbering and Abbreviations
Player Position Numbering CF 8 LF 7 9 RF SS 6 4 B B 5 B P C EH=Extra Hitter in continuous batting lineups
Visualizing the Numbering CF 8 LF 7 9 RF 6 SS 4 B B 5 P B Shortstop numbering is weird!! C Careful NOT to use for first base, for second base, for third base!!!
Outs in the Field L #: Line Drive F #: Fly Ball # U: Unassisted # s- DP: Double Play # s- TP: Triple Play CS: Caught Stealing (: Sacrifice) Outs by the BaEer K: Strikeout Swinging : Strikeout Looking K Types of Hits B: Single B: Double B: Triple HR: Home Run GRD: Ground Rule Double Ge=ng on Base without a Hit : Base on Balls (walk) or HBP: Hit by Pitch FC: Fielder s Choice E #: Error K E: dropped third strike, bad catcher throw to st I: IntenNonal Base on Balls CI: Catcher s Interference Baserunner Advances #: Jersey number of bauer E #: Error SB: Stolen Base WP: Wild Pitch (pitcher at fault) PB: Passed Ball (catcher at fault) BK: Balk
Some Baseball Rules to Know Runs don t count on a play where the rd out is made by force out or at first base Incomplete at bat (baserunner caught stealing) à same batter starts next inning with new count Force immediately removed when runner is out (AAA): Coach pitches max 8 pitches or swinging strikes; fouls past 8 ok (Majors and Juniors): On a dropped third strike, batter may run to first base if first base unoccupied or there are two outs (Majors and Juniors): Infield fly rule (< outs, runners on st and nd and possibly rd )
The Scorebook
Before the Game Fill out team names. e.g., Cubs (V) vs. Reds (H) Use facing pages in the scorebook Typically visitor on left page, home on right page Lineups names and jersey numbers Get from coaches before game Date, field, start time Starting pitcher name and jersey number Remember to record all pitchers during game
Teams, Date, Time Teams, Date, Time Visitor Lineup Home Lineup Visitor Team Home Team
Player (row) Inning (column) Opposing Pitchers
Recording Individual Pitches The Count (Not necessary for coach pitch AAA)
Many use X or / to mark balls and strikes Balls Strikes Pitch Count 0 Circle if pitcher is relieved and darken line before next batter Umpires sometimes lose track of the count so they may ask the official scorekeeper for the count
Or record the order of pitches (helps if there is dispute over the count) Balls 4 Strikes 5 6 7 8 9 Fouls after strike Circle if pitcher is relieved Pitch Count 0 Don t forget to add one more pitch for the ball put in play or the last strike and darken line before next batter Really helps to have a mechanical pencil
Recording the Ball in Play
Recording an Out 8 Type of Out (sequence of players with 6- the ball) Circle if a sacrifice (baserunner is advanced) Out, or
Recording Getting on Base 8 Getting on base with a hit Optionally record where hit goes (don t bother on outs) Getting on base without a hit B
Recording Advancing Baserunners Optional T-arrow if runner doesn t make next base 8 CS SB How Runner Advances (jersey number of batter, E, SB, WP, PB, BK) -5 B
Recording a Run Shade completed diamond for run 0 48 SB 48 B 48 Jersey number of player credited with RBI
Example: First Inning
Ball, Strike, Strike, Foul, Bunt to Pitcher, Throw to First, Out 8 4 5-7 9 5 6 4
Ball, Ball, Foul, Ball, Strike, Ball Walk 7 8 9 4 5 4 5-5 6 4 If you get behind, you can tally up total pitches between innings
Foul, Ball, Grounder to Shortstop, Throw to Second (out), Throw to First (out) 7 5 6 8 4 9 4 5 4 5 4-6-4- DP 6-4- DP You have to go back to previous players to record what happens Note slash and squiggle to end inning
Example: Second Inning
Ball, Strike, Strike, Foul, Grounder into ler field for a single 8 4 9 B 7 9 5 6 4 Note optional recording of hit location Tallying up hits later on is easy, just look at ---HR areas
Ball, Ball, Foul, Ball, Foul Grounder to Shortstop, Throw to Second (out), Runner safe at First 7 5 6 8 4 9 4 9 4 5 5 6-4 B FC
Foul, Ball Triple (BaEer is #48, runner on nd scores) 7 8 9 4 9 4 5 5 6-4 48 B 48 5 6 4 8 48 B FC 48 The filled in diamonds make counting runs much easier
Pickoff at third On first pitch, grounder to st, unassisted out 7 8 9 4 9 4 5 5 6-4 48 B 48 5 6 4 8 48 B FC 48-5 9 U
Example: Third Inning
Ball, Strike, Strike, Dropped Strike (swinging), Runner Makes It to First Safe 8 K E 7 9 5 6 4 K E far more common in Little League than MLB
Strike, Strike, Foul Strikeout (looking) New Pitcher 7 5 6 8 4 9 7 K E K Circle final pitch count for that pitcher, draw line
Ball, Ball, Fly Ball to Right (baeer is #55), Baserunner Tags Up and Safe at Second 55 7 5 6 8 4 9 7 K E K F9 Sometimes you have to back several boxes
Strike, Strike, AEempted Steal of rd, Catcher Throws Baserunner Out at rd 7 5 6 Arrow reminds you to start on the same batter next inning Note, no ball put into play, don t add one to pitch count 8 4 9 7 5 CS -5 K E K 55 F9
At End of Game Record final score and winning team Baseball scores are always larger number first Tally up RHE (runs, hits, errors) for each inning and then for the game Some books have a place to tally Left On Base (LOB) You can leave lots of other stats blank
Other Advice Don t sweat the broken plays (i.e., snowball fights ) Just get the basic results of the play The order of who threw the ball to whom is not that important Enjoy! You ll find yourself paying way more attention to the game and enjoying it that much more!
GameChanger Pros Slick sowware StaNsNcs done automancally Ability to livecast game Cons Very hard to correct errors Less reliable than pencil and paper BaUeries run out
The End Questions?
8 7 9 5 6 4