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This probably goes without saying for many that read this forum, but if a scorekeeper is serious about his task, this is absolutely required reading. This section of the rule book just covers so many things involved in scoring a game, like hits, errors, rbi's, pitching stats, and so many more. I learn something new everytime I read it.
Baseball is a game with a very long and complicated rule book, and has situations in almost every game that are confusing to score correctly.
I'll give a couple of examples and leave it at that.
Bases loaded and batter hits into double play, runner scores from third. Many scorekeepers will give the batter an RBI, rule book says no if you hit into a DP.
Batter hits a single to outfield and takes 2nd base on the throw to plate. Some will incorrectly score this as a double.
The other sections of the OBR are also very informative as well, but scorekeepers need to have rule 10 in the back of their minds all the time or a link to it on their IPhone(lol)

Feel free to share some situations that you had scored a certain way and one day discovered you had been doing it wrong.

I recently discovered on this forum that I had been incorrectly scoring bases loaded bunts as fielders choices when the play went somewhere besides first base and no out was made. As I learned on the forum, The rule book has a section that addresses bases loaded bunts. Apparently if no out was made it should be considered a hit, or a sacrifice if the play was made at first, and only a fielder's choice if an out was made at one of the other bases, or the fielder clearly could have thrown the batter out at first and chose not to.

Once again this situation like so many are at the scorer's judgement and your judgement will not always agree with everyone elses.
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I agree completely. I re-read OBR section 10 as part of my pre-season ritual.

It doesn't mean I retain it all, but its rare I don't know at least most of the rule when something wierd pops up.

My problems are with judgement and application of "ordinary effort". I tend to extend this to, "ordinary effort at the level of play". I will score the same play differently based on the level of play. For example, ground ball deep in the hole at short, backhanded goes of glove. I may score a hit in HS, but an Error in MLB. Tough play for a HS player, expected play for a MLB short stop.

HS Softball is especially difficult because the third baseman is frequently about 50' from home plate to cover bunts and the ball gets crushed right at them. I'll score "hit" even if its in the air off the glove if it's hit hard enough but I get no end of flack from the parents for it.
Last edited by JMoff
Question...Is there ever a situation where a base hit is credited to the BR, where a lead runner is thrown out.

Example...
Bases loaded.
High fly ball to short left. OF is playing deep and cannot make the catch.
Runner on 3rd waits on the fly, but is thrown out at home AFTER BR reaches 1st safely.

LF had no reasonable play at 1st.

Single, or Fielder's Choice?
I say FC...parent of BR says 1b.

If FC, is there EVER a situation where a 1b is awarded and a forced runner is out before reaching the next base?
Interesting situation. I don't have my rule book here to look it up, so this is an educated guess.

As long as the runner isn't forced at home, I would score a base hit. It's never a hit if a baserunner is forced out at the next base.

If I take this example to two extremes, it seems simpler. BR hits ball in gap for a 3B. Runner from third pulls a hamstring and goes down, crawling towards plate. He's tagged out before he gets there. I would think you have to score a hit to the batter.

In the other extreme, the runner doesn't attempt to score, just stays put. You would still score a hit (assuming bases not loaded and no force again).
Last edited by JMoff
I think you missed something...in this case, bases are loaded. It's the runner from 3rd who is thrown out.

The parent's argument was that since the BR made it to 1st before the left fielder got to the ball, there was no longer a play to be made at first (thus removing the "Choice" and relieving the BR from a Fielder's Choice.

The force was still in effect.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by OK Heat:
This probably goes without saying for many that read this forum, but if a scorekeeper is serious about his task, this is absolutely required reading. This section of the rule book just covers so many things involved in scoring a game, like hits, errors, rbi's, pitching stats, and so many more. I learn something new everytime I read it.
Baseball is a game with a very long and complicated rule book, and has situations in almost every game that are confusing to score correctly.
…QUOTE]

I certainly agree that OBR rule 10.0 is in fact the scorer’s bible no matter what level he’s scoring, but no one should ever forget that although OBR is the root of all baseball/softball rules, if the game is being played under NFHS rules, they too have a scoring rule. Its Rule 9.

As much as I wish NFHS would just give up on their own baseball rules, and go to a “modified OBR”, that kingdom is never going to go away. So until that happens, scorers have to make a decision about what scoring rules they’re going to follow, and live with their decision.

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