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Baseball Rules Reference
The baseball rules that directly affect how the scorecard renders. If you're new to baseball, start with How to Read a Scorecard first.
The basics
A baseball game has two teams. They take turns batting (offense) and fielding (defense). Each turn is called a half-inning. The visiting team bats in the top half, the home team bats in the bottom half. A standard game is 9 innings, but extra innings are played if the score is tied.
Each half-inning ends when the fielding team records 3 outs. An out can happen by:
- Striking out (3 strikes)
- Catching a fly ball
- Tagging a runner or base before the runner arrives
- Various other situations (interference, infield fly rule, etc.)
Batting order
Each team sets a lineup of 9 batters before the game. They bat in order, cycling back to the top after the 9th batter. The batting order cannot change during the game, but a substitute can replace a player in their spot.
On the scorecard, each row represents one lineup slot (1-9). Multiple players may appear in the same slot if substitutions were made.
Strikes, balls, and the count
Each at-bat is a duel between the pitcher and batter:
- Strike: the batter swings and misses, doesn't swing at a pitch in the strike zone, or fouls the ball off
- Ball: the pitch is outside the strike zone and the batter doesn't swing
- 3 strikes = strikeout (batter is out)
- 4 balls = walk (batter takes first base)
- Foul balls count as strikes, but a foul ball cannot be the third strike (except on a bunt)
Hits and reaching base
| Event | What happens |
|---|---|
| Single | Batter hits the ball and reaches first base safely |
| Double | Batter reaches second base on a hit |
| Triple | Batter reaches third base on a hit |
| Home Run | Ball goes over the outfield fence (or batter circles all bases on a hit inside the park) |
| Walk (BB) | 4 balls, batter takes first base |
| Hit by pitch (HBP) | Pitch hits the batter, takes first base |
| Error | Fielder makes a mistake, batter reaches base |
| Fielder's choice | Batter reaches because the fielder chose to retire a different runner |
Double plays
A double play records two outs on one play. Most common: runner on first, batter hits a ground ball, fielder throws to second base (runner out), relay to first base (batter out). This is called a 6-4-3 double play.
On the scorecard, each out appears in its own cell. The batter's out in the batter's cell, the runner's out in the runner's cell.
Sacrifice plays
Sometimes a batter intentionally makes an out to advance a runner:
- Sacrifice bunt (SH): batter bunts to advance the runner, knowing they'll be thrown out at first
- Sacrifice fly (SF): batter hits a fly ball that's caught, but a runner on third scores by tagging up
Stolen bases and caught stealing
Runners can attempt to advance to the next base while the pitcher is delivering a pitch:
- Stolen base (SB): runner advances successfully
- Caught stealing (CS): runner is thrown out attempting to steal
Pitching changes
Managers can replace their pitcher at any time. The departing pitcher's stats (strikes, pitches, strikeouts) are shown on the scorecard at the point of substitution.
Designated runner (extra innings)
In extra innings (10th inning and beyond), each half-inning starts with a runner automatically placed on second base. The runner is the player in the batting order immediately before the leadoff hitter for that half-inning, or a pinch-runner.
This rule was introduced during the 2020 season and made permanent in 2023. It speeds up extra-inning games by putting a runner in scoring position from the start.
On the scorecard, the designated runner's cell shows DR as the notation with the diamond path already drawn from HP to 1B to 2B (showing they're on second). No count or pitch sequence is shown since they never batted. Any further advancement (2B to 3B, scoring) continues from there.
If the designated runner scores, the earned run is not charged to the pitcher.
The infield fly rule
When there are runners on first and second (or bases loaded) with fewer than 2 outs, and the batter hits a pop fly that an infielder could catch with ordinary effort, the batter is automatically out, even if the fielder drops the ball. This prevents fielders from intentionally dropping the ball to get a double play. Marked as (IFF) on the scorecard.