Article Index
Scorekeeping
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Defense: Throw Outs
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1. A throw in front of a runner by a catcher which results in a ru.ndowit is recorded as a throw out regardless of the base where the putout occurs.
2. Credit the catcher with a throw out or throw out attempt whenever she initiates the play on an attempted stolen base, and an out results. She should also be credited with a throw out attempt if she opts not to throw, (unless a pitch is in the dirt or a passed ball). If she fakes to attempt a play on another runner, no throw out attempt is recorded.
3. A throw behind a runner that results in an out is a pick-off. If the runner attempts to advance on the throw and is subsequently out, it becomes a stolen base attempt, and credit a throw out to the catcher.
4. If a good steal throw is dropped, and an error charged, credit the catcher with a throw out.

Pitching: Statistics
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The followmg pitching statistics can be kept on each pitcher:
a - Earned run average (ERA),
b - Games played (C),
c - Games started (CS),
d - Wins ON),
e - Losses (L),
f - Winning percentage (Per),
g - Saves (SV),
h - Games completed (CC) pitched the distance,
i - Shutouts (SF10).
j - Innings pitched (IP),
k - Runs allowed (B),
l - Hits allowed (H) - separate doubles (28), triples (38) and homeruns (HR),
m - Earned runs allowed (ER),
n - Batters struck out (SO),
o - Batters walked (SB)- indicate batters intentionally walked (188),
p - illegal pitches (BK),
q - Total bases allowed by hits (TB),
r - Slugging percentage of opponents (SLA, or
s - Opponent's total at bats (AB),
t - Opponent's batting average (BA),
u - Opponent's fly outs (FO),
v - Opponent's ground outs (GO),
w - Batter's faced (HF),
x - Hit batters by pitch (FJBP), record names of those hit, and
y - Wild pitch (pitcher's fault) (WP).

Pitching: Earned Runs
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1. Earned runs are scored for all runs for which the pitcher is held accountable.
2. Earned runs are determined by reconstructing the inning as it would have been played without errors and passed balls (including errors on the pitcher).
3. When in doubt, always give the benefit of the doubt to the pitcher when deciding which bases would have been reached by errorless play. Never assume runners would have gotten extra bases on a hit unless it is obvious.
4. When reconstructing a run that scores to end the game, but on a play where an error occured, and with less than two outs, use your judgement considering outs, who was up, etc. to decide if that run might have scored had the game continued.
5. Bases gained by the following, and where the runner scores, result in an earned run (defensive interference is considered an opportunity for a putout):
a - Hit,
b - Sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly,
c - Stolen base,
d - Fielder's choke (putouts on succeeding runner),
e - Bases on balls,
f - Batters hit by pitch,
g - illegal pitch, and
h - Wild pitch (including a third strike wild pitch where the batter reaches first base safely).
6. The run is unearned (scores in spite of pitching efforts) if the runner who scores reached first base in the following ways:
a - On an error,
b - After her life at the plate was prolonged by a dropped foul fly, or
c - On interference or obstruction (the interference or obstruction should be counted as an opportunity for a putout).
7. The run is unearned if the runner who scores has her baserunning life prolonged by an error, and would have been put out by errorless play. Never assume the second out of a double play should have been completed unless a caught throw is dropped.
8. The run is unearned if a runner who advances by an error, passed ball, or defensive interference/obstruction, would not have scored without the misplay.
9. A relief pitcher does not receive benefit of previous chances for outs when reconstructing the inning in determining earned or unearned runs she put on, while the original pitcher does. Thus, a relief pitcher could be charged with an earned run which does not appear in the team totals,
10. If a tie-breaker runner scores from second base and the pitcher is held accountable for all bases gained, score the run eal ned but do not charge it to that pitcher, charge it to the team. (See tiebreaker scoring).
11. The run is unearned if there is an error on a play at home.
12. A batter that is on by a fielder's choice can only score an earned run if the runner who was played on with the fielder's choice, was a potential earned run.

Pitching: Charging Runs Scored (When Relief Pitchers Are Used)
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1. A pitcher is charged with every run which scores where the batter reached base while she was pitching.
2. A pitcher is charged with any run which scores where the batter reached base safely as a result of a fielder's choice putout of a runner who reached base while she was pitching. Charge a pitcher with the number of runners she put on, not the individuals she put on.
3. If a pitcher leaves the game with runners on base, she is charged with up to that many runs that score in that inning, unless any of those runners are out because of being picked off, thrown out on an attempted steal, or for interference when a batter doesn't reach first base on the play.
4. When a relief pitcher comes in mid-count, and that batter gets on, then scores,
a - charge the first pitcher with the run only if the batter got on with a walk after earning a count with two or three balls and less than two strikes from the initial pitcher, and
b - charge the relief pitcher with the run any other time.

Pitching: Strikeouts
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1. The pitcher who throws the third strike is credited with the strikeout,
2. The pitcher is credited with a strikeout even if the batter reaches first on the dropped third strike rule. Score KPB or KWP, whichever the case.

Pitching: Bases On Balls
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When a relief pitcher comes in mid-count, and the batter then reaches first base on a base on balls, the original pitcher is credited with the walk if she pitched at least two balls and less than two strikes to the batter, or if the count was full.

Pitching: Wild Pitches/Passed Balls
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1. A wild pitch is charged to the pitcher when the pitcher throws so high, wide or low that the catcher can not handle the ball with ordinary effort and at least one runner advances.
a - Any pitch in the dirt which advances a runner is deemed wild.
b - Only one wild pitch is scored regardless of the number of runners who advance or the number of bases advanced.
c - A third strike that is not handled by the catcher because it was wild, where the batter makes first base safely, is charged to the pitcher as a strikeout and also as a wild pitch (KWP).
d - No wild pitch is scored if a runner was stealing on the release of the wild pitch and only one base is advanced.
2. A passed ball is charged to the catcher when she fails to catch a pitch which could have been caught with ordinary effort and at least one baserunner advances.
a - A bobbled pitch (not dropped) where a runner advances is scored as a stolen base, not a passed ball, even if the runner decides to advance after seeing the bobble.
b - Only one passed ball is charged regardless of the number of runners who advance or the number of bases advanced.
c - A third strike that is not handled by the catcher and which should have been with ordinary effort, and the batter reaches first base safely, is charged to the catcher as a passed ball and the pitcher as a strikeout (KPB).
d - No passed ball is scored if a runner was stealing on the release of the pitch that got away and only one base is earned.

Pitching: Winning and Losing Pitcher
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1. Credit the starting pitcher With a Win if she has pitched at least four total innings, is ahead when replaced, and if the team stays ahead for the rest of the game.
2. When a regulation game ends after five innings, the starting pitcher must pitch three innings and her team must win in order to be credited with the win.
3. If the starting pitcher can't receive credit for the Win (not enough innings or her team falls behind after she leaves), credit a single relief pitcher with the win.
4. If the starting pitcher can't receive credit for the Win (not enough innings or her team falls behind after she leaves), and more than one relief pitcher is used
a - if the lead is never lost, credit the relief pitcher whose pitching is most effective with the win, or
b - if the score is tied or the eventual winning team falls behind, the relief pitcher who is the pitcher of record when her team gains the lead and stays in the lead thereafter, is credited with the win
(Exception .- a brief or ineffective appearance followed by another reliever who is effective in maintaining the lead does not receive credit for the win; the effective reliever does).
5. No pitcher can receive credit for a win if the score becomes tied or her team falls behind after she leaves the game, unless she comes back in and regains the lead.
6. If a pitcher is removed from the game offensively by a batter or runner, all runs scored by her team are credited to her benefit in determining when her team is in the lead.
7. A shutout is scored by pitching scoreless ball for the entire game or if the pitcher did the same after relieving in the first inning before any outs or any score, (If two or more pitchers combine for a shutout, note it in the record).
8. The starting pitcher receives a loss if she is relieved while her team is behind and her team remains behind, regardless of the number of innings pitched.
9. A relief pitcher is the losing pitcher if she is the pitcher of record when the opponents go ahead and stay ahead the rest of the game, NOTE: When determining the score of the game when a pitcher is replaced, include runs for which the replaced pitcher is charged even if they have not yet scored.

Pitching: Saves
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1. A pitcher must meet all three of the following conditions to be credited with a save:
a - She is the last pitcher in the win, and
b - She is not the winning pitcher, and
c - She meets one of the following:
1) She enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least One inning, or
2) She pitches effectively for at least three innings, or
3) She enters the game with the potential tieing run either on base, at bat or on deck.
2. No more than one save may be credited in a game.

Scoring The Tie-Breaker
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At the start of each half inning under the tie-breaker rule a mythical pitcher, called TEAM, "permits" the last opposition batter of the previous inning to reach second base. TEAM is then "relieved" by the actual pitch. The runner starting off second base is the responsibility of TEAM.
If action by a subsequent batter, such as a fielder's choice, causes the lead-off runner to be put out, the FIRST run scored that half inning may be charged to TEAM. If the lead-off runner is put out with out action by the batter, such as caught stealing or leaving the base too soon, then no run can be charged to TEAM. Any run scored after the first run in a tie-breaker half inning MUST be charged to an actual pitcher as either earned or unearned. A run charged to TEAM is neither earned or unearned because there is no actual person to whom the run is to be charged and it is technically impossible for TEAM to have an earned run average because TEAM will always have ZERO total innings pitched (never gets an out) and the attempted division by zero in the ERA formula is mathematically impossible.
In the statistical pitching summary for a game using the tie-breaker rule, TEAM is listed as a pitcher. The ONLY statistic recorded for team is total runs allowed, but neither earned or unearned runs can be recorded. Thus, the total runs allowed by a team may exceed the sum total of earned and unea, ned runs. Futhennore, the box score will not prove as it normally does, since there is an extra runner left on base, usually, for each inning the rule is in effect.