QUICK REFERENCE
The complete cheat sheet for every symbol and abbreviation used on a baseball scorecard. Bookmark this page and bring it to the ballpark.
Every defensive position has a number. You combine these numbers to describe fielding plays. For example, a ground ball to the shortstop who throws to first is written as 6-3.
These symbols go in the scoring box to record what happened during each at-bat.
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1B | Single | Batter gets a base hit to the outfield |
| 2B | Double | Batter hits to the wall, reaches second |
| 3B | Triple | Batter reaches third on a hit |
| HR | Home Run | Over the fence or inside-the-park |
| BB | Base on Balls (Walk) | Four balls before three strikes |
| IBB | Intentional Walk | Pitcher intentionally walks the batter |
| HBP | Hit By Pitch | Pitch hits the batter, awarded first base |
| K | Strikeout (Swinging) | Batter swings and misses for strike three |
| Ꝁ | Strikeout (Looking) | Umpire calls strike three (backwards K) |
| E | Error | E6 means the shortstop made an error |
| FC | Fielder's Choice | Fielder throws to another base instead of first |
| SAC | Sacrifice Bunt | Batter bunts to advance a runner, gets out |
| SF | Sacrifice Fly | Fly ball caught, but runner tags up and scores |
These describe how outs are made. Combine position numbers with these prefixes.
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 6-3 | Groundout (fielder to fielder) | Shortstop throws to first baseman |
| F8 | Fly out | Center fielder catches a fly ball |
| L4 | Line out | Second baseman catches a line drive |
| P6 | Pop out | Shortstop catches a pop-up |
| U3 | Unassisted out | First baseman fields and steps on the bag |
| DP | Double Play | 6-4-3 DP: short to second to first |
| TP | Triple Play | Three outs recorded on one play |
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| SB | Stolen Base | Runner steals second base |
| CS | Caught Stealing | Runner thrown out attempting to steal |
| PB | Passed Ball | Catcher misses pitch, runners advance |
| WP | Wild Pitch | Pitch gets away from catcher |
| BK | Balk | Pitcher makes illegal motion, runners advance |
| PO | Picked Off | Runner caught off base by pitcher or catcher |
Here is how to score plays you will see in almost every game.
Shortstop fields, throws to first
Center fielder catches the fly ball
Batter swings and misses, strike three
Called strike three by the umpire
Four balls, batter takes first base
Base hit, batter reaches first
Short to second to first, two outs
Batter reaches on a fielding mistake
Bunt, pitcher throws to first
Ball leaves the playing field fair
Baseball Scorebook handles all these symbols for you. Just tap what happened on each play. The app records the correct notation automatically.
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