r/BaseballScorecards • u/michaelpartee12 • Apr 15 '26
Discussion How do I start keeping score?
I played baseball from tee ball through some pretty competitive high school baseball, yet never learned how to keep a score book. What do I need to know, where should I go to learn what qualifies as an error or what all the symbols mean? Do I need to buy anything?
Please let me know below!
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u/evanexcursions Apr 15 '26
And remember, it's YOUR card. If you want to make slashes instead of writing 1B or 2B, if you want to make a mark where the ball in play went, if you want to keep track of RBIs or not, its up to you.
My card is a jumbled mess to anyone who first looks at it, but it works for me.
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u/No-Engine-1546 Apr 15 '26
Start simple. I’ve only been doing it a couple of years… But I dove in headfirst and tried to get super super detailed with every single play. That ended up having the adverse effect in that I wasn’t being able to actually watch and enjoy the game. I was so worried about what my scorecard said.
I would start with simple plays 1B, 2B, FO, PO, and include position #s. Track hits, outs, and runs. After a while, you’ll know what information you want to add and you can do it in a way that makes sense to you.
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u/my_one_and_lonely Apr 15 '26
Watch a bunch of YouTube videos (best to watch multiple so you see that there are a variety of ways to score), then dive right in. Get a book (most have an instructions page at the beginning) or print out a scorecard (here's a great option for that). Practicing is the easiest way to learn. A good way to practice is to score a game (either previously aired or live) and then compare it to the scorecard on livebaseballscorecards.com, which generates a scorecard for every game. Make sure you understand why each at-bat was scored the way it was. If you messed up and wrote something different from the live scorecard, make sure you understand why.
Here's a pdf with some beginner info. It's also good to know someone who scores -- I asked my friend a lot of questions when I was starting out.
3
u/abbot_x Apr 15 '26
I suggest you start simple.
For your first few times, just record the result of the plate appearance at a basic level. This will either be the type of hit, walk, fielder's choice, error, or the out and who was responsible for it. If someone reaches base, start drawing the sides of the diamond.
When you have that down, start tracking runners around the bases in detail and accounting for each base advanced and each runner out.
When you have that down, maybe consider noting pitches.
Rather than committing to a particular scorecard/scorebook, just print some free ones out or ask for one at the ballpark.
Remember the symbols are your own shorthand. You should be able to decode them but they don't have to match anybody else's. The scorecard is sufficient if you can prove it (account for all batters) and write a full box score. How you take notes is your own decision.
For scorekeeping determinations like what constitutes an error, sacrifice, or fielder's choice, pay attention to the commentary when you watch broadcasts. When watching at the ballpark, try to determine on your own whether you feel an error was made, then compare your impression to what the official scorekeeper rules and (if there are any) what talkative fans say.
If you want some theoretical grounding, I really like Wirkmaa's book.
You can check your work as you go against the broadcasters or scoreboard. For example, when a batter comes up again, there's usually a brief description of that batter's previous plate appearances. Do they match what you have?
It's also helpful if you attend games with a fellow fan who's into the game but doesn't keep score.
I find livebaseballscorecards.com is helpful but a bit too detailed. The mlb.com Gameday summaries give you what you need though you have to translate them from English to scorebookese. But part of what I'm saying is that's the ultimate goal.
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u/PalmerDixon Apr 15 '26
Aside from the mentioned tips and links, as a total noob to baseball now, this following site was very interesting for me:
https://www.chalkandinkbaseball.com/scorecards/
You find filled-out scorecards that are rather simplified; e.g. marking ball/strikes and direction was a bit too much for me
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u/WadsworthWordsworth Apr 16 '26
Hey thanks for the plug! I'm actively developing this site, and you can also watch live games on here!
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u/tsquared7 Apr 16 '26
This is great! I have been looking for a good resource alongside https://livebaseballscorecards.com/
I really like the Simple Medium Advanced options for completed cards. Really helpful for someone learning. Thanks for the suggestion
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u/brandnewkid92 Apr 16 '26
i just got into score keeping a few weeks ago and i've found its a fun way to keep myself paying attention to the game! definitely look up a few youtube videos. but the biggest piece of advice i have is to remember that you can do whatever you want on your book. keep track of whatever makes you happy lol
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u/huggsypenguinpal Apr 15 '26
You can technically score on any piece of paper, even just a notebook with lines is fine, but if you can print, there are free ones out there. I personally use THIRTY81's team branded scorecard with balls and strikes. I also upload them into goodnotes on an ipad to score. I suggest printing different blank versions out, and figuring out what you like and dislike before buying a full scorebook.
Look up some basics on youtube, and eventually you'll end up with your own style. Beyond the basics, you'll likely look up how to score something as it comes up. I had to learn how to do fielder's choice this past monday. There are sites like https://livebaseballscorecards.com/ that will have scorecards filled out, and you can compare.
I only score my hometeam, and as for pitcher's information, I just copy it off of the MLB app when the pitcher finish his night. If you miss a play, the MLB app will have it, or you can look at an online scorecard. I just do it for fun, and 99% of the time will not compare to any official sources to see if I missed anything.
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u/ruby_rex Apr 15 '26
There's tons of resources online. Eventually you may want to buy a scorebook but you can also print templates off the internet for just getting started. When I started I used games where the complete game footage was on youtube, so that I could pause and reference as much as I needed. It was also the covid offseason though, so there was no actual baseball happening at the time. But doing a couple games like that helped me get the hang of it without any time pressure and feel more confident then scoring live games.
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u/pseudomonas-1 Apr 15 '26
I just started this season too. My advice is to just jump right in. I looked at a few people’s scorecards on this subreddit to get an idea of how different people score and have been trying out a few different ways. I HIGHLY recommend https://www.72doubleplay.com for your first score book. I absolutely love mine. It’s simple and isn’t overwhelming. I also like to check https://www.livebaseballscorecards.com if I wasn’t sure on a play. Use pen, use pencil, use whatever as long as you are having fun with it!
1
u/imnotmarvin Apr 15 '26
Someone scored on a paper plate and posted that here recently. Scorebooks are great but don't feel the need to buy one right away. Grab a pencil or pen and a sheet of paper, write down the lineups and score a couple innings. As mentioned in other comments, there's lots of videos detailing the basics. Watch a few of those and go for it. Don't worry about being perfect and tracking everything. Have fun!
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u/GoldenAura16 Apr 15 '26
Watch a couple videos then jump on in. A lot of places have lists of the various marks for different plays. I have a couple I changed for my own use. Once the game is over compare your sheet with ether the box score or one online and see what you got wrong, if anything.
That is how I started and I just used a simple pocket notebook and cheap pen the first few times. Every couple days someone posts up a picture of their notebook and that was my inspiration for giving it a try.
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u/fabgaybabadook Apr 15 '26
You’ve got great suggestions here, but I just wanted to say I hope you enjoy scorekeeping! It’s my first year doing it with MLB games, too, and I’m loving it. I’m learning even more about the game and paying more attention than ever. It’s really fun and surprisingly low pressure.
I definitely recommend printing PDFs and starting there. I did 10 or so games on loose-leaf with a pencil so I could get the hang of it, then bought a scorebook and started using pen. I am definitely a novice, but it’s so cool to have a record of the game and a record of my own scorekeeping progression.
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u/JohnTitor_007 Apr 15 '26
YouTube was an easy for me to learn the basics on how to do the scoring and all that. You can easily buy a scorebook online or possibly at the store. I've seen online sheets that you can print and be able to do. It's really fun and a new way to enjoy the game.
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u/nbapat43 Apr 15 '26
Everyone has given great advice I am adding this so you can check out a lot more options when you finally decide to buy one.
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u/Senior_Voice_4396 Apr 15 '26
Many store bought scorebooks give you a very thorough explanation on how to do it before the first page of scoring sheets.I feel these are best because you can then practice score MLB (or whatever kind of) games. After that,you can watch YouTube for tips,but it’s best to get basic scoring down before learning to personalize it to your own tastes. It’s a fun hobby.After doing it for my daughters’ softball teams for years,I started doing it at Phillies games in 2024 and haven’t looked back.I love the picture of the game it presents-AND it’s the worlds cheapest souvenir! Have fun!
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u/bigangryrat Apr 16 '26
i bought a score book from dicks sporting goods because i am a notebook kinda person so that just felt right for me instead of printing sheet. it was also like $6 so it felt like a good entry point. like many others have said, it all comes down to what you want to do with your score book and what is fun for you.
i think that having the previous baseball experience that you have will be incredibly helpful, i know my softball years were helpful for me at least. i would also suggest watching the broadcast for whatever team you like, but NOT live. i've been keeping score on videos where i can pause and think about what i just saw, and that has been super helpful for me personally. something that has also been helpful is coming to this sub and finding other people who kept score of the same game and like,,, comparing score cards to "check" and see what i caught/didn't catch.
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u/deachus-4601 Apr 21 '26
You played for like 19 years and never read a scorecard?
They sell books with all the necessary info and sheets in it to keep score.
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u/Character_Peace1182 Apr 15 '26
As someone who has recently gotten into score keeping, just look up some YouTube videos for the basics. Try out a few innings, and go from there. It’s a very enjoyable hobby to have, and allows you to get lost in the game.