How to Use a Baseball Score Sheet

Ever wondered how to use a baseball score sheet? While the winners and losers are determined by the runs scored, individual stats are based on what happens during every game. Learning how to use a score sheet gives you an insight into who's doing well and how those runs get across the plate.

Start by getting a score card, either from a program at the ballpark or a scorebook at the sporting good store.  The first step is to fill in the batting lineups for both teams.

The Numbers Game
Familiarize yourself with the numerical assignment of each fielding position:

1. Pitcher
2. Catcher
3. First Baseman
4. Second Baseman
5. Third Baseman
6. Shortstop
7. Left Fielder
8. Center Fielder
9. Right Fielder

You'll sometimes hear these numbers used during a broadcast. For example, a "6-4-3 double play" means that the shortstop (6) caught the ball and threw it to the second baseman (4), who then threw it to the first baseman (3).

Learn the Baseball Score Sheet
Each card includes 10 brackets-one for each regulation inning, plus a tenth should the game go to extras. If a game moves past 10 innings, you use another score card and add a "1" before each number. If a team bats around in an inning, meaning that every player in the lineup gets a second at bat in an inning, move everything down a bracket, making the tenth inning  number 9.

Batter Up
Within the inning brackets, you'll find a separate diamond-filled diagram for each player. Begin by recording each strike and ball in the corresponding circles. Once a batter reaches two strikes, ignore each additional foul ball. 

• Situation: Strikeout
  If a batter strikes out, place a K in the middle of his square for that inning. Use a backward K if the third strike was a called strike, rather than a swinging strike.
• Situation: Walk or Hit By Pitch
  Write "BB" (bases on balls) in the middle of the square, and draw a solid line from home plate to first base on the diamond.  If the batter was hit by a pitch, write "HBP" (hit by pitch) or HB (hit batsman) in the center of the squoare.
• Situation: Batter Gets a Hit
  Draw a line from home to first, and write "1B" (one base) next to the first base line.  For a double, draw a line to first, then another to second and write "2B." For a triple, three lines, "3B;" for a home run, draw four lines finishing at home plate and fill in the diamond with your pencil.  Every time a runner moves up, even on another player's hit, draw a line to record his advancement. Every time a runner scores, fill in the diamond. That will make it easier to count the total runs at the end of each inning.
• Situation: Batter Reaches On Error
  Draw a line from home plate to first, and then on to whatever base the batter reaches at the end of the play. Then, write "E" (for error) followed by the position player that made the error ("E3" for first base, for example). In some cases, a batter can reach first base after strike three on a wild pitch or passed ball; if this occurs, note the "K," draw a solid line to first and write in "E2-PB" for a passed ball error credited to the catcher, or "WP" for a wild pitch. A wild pitch is not considered an error.
• Situation: Batter Hits Into Out
  If a player is retired  by a catch, tag out or a force out at first, it is considered a putout-scored "PO," followed by the players involved in the play. For example, if he lines to center, you'd score it "PO 8." If he hits a groundout to the short stop, you'd score it "PO 6-3." If a player on base is forced out (FO) on a running play, it is scored the same way (FO 3-6, FO 4, etc.).  If a batter hits into a double play, you note all players involved preceded by the abbreviation "DP" (DP 6-4-3).

After the third out, use the total columns at the bottom of each inning to note hits, runs, errors, runners left on base, and so forth, then move on to the next inning.