REFERENCE
Every abbreviation you will meet in a scorebook, grouped the way you will use them. Bookmark this and keep it open for your first few games.
Every fielder has a number, and most outs are written with them. These never change, at any level.
How the batter got on. Hits by base count, everything else by cause.
Numbers in sequence show the ball’s path. 6-3 means shortstop threw to first. A single number with F is a catch.
Marks that happen after the batter reaches. These go on the runner’s base path, not in a new box.
The abbreviations that fill the pitcher section at the bottom of the card.
Scorekeeping is a language with regional accents. Some books write an unassisted groundout to first as 3U, others just 3. Some scorekeepers circle RBIs, others underline them. None of it is wrong. What matters is consistency inside one book, so that anyone reading it, including you in five years, can follow the game.
For how these marks fit together in a real game, read how to use a baseball scorebook, or the deeper scoring symbols guide with examples.
How-to walkthroughs, softball scoring, and guides for every league and level.
Browse all guidesThe app accepts all of this notation. Type 6-3 in a cell and it means exactly what it means in your paper book.
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