Scorekeeping Basics West Oaks Little League v The

Scorekeeping Basics West Oaks Little League

v The scorekeeper, while in the scorer’s booth, is not a part of the fans. He/she may not talk or yell to the players, give direction, coach, have conversations in the booth not pertaining to scorekeeping, or in any other way participate in the game, except in the capacity of being the scorekeeper. (For example, if a player bats out of order, the official scorekeeper may NOT, and may not direct someone else to, inform the home team of the infraction. ) v Remember: The plate umpire has total control of the game. The umpires make all decisions regarding the game. Only the plate umpire can call the game. If a particular play is in question and you are having difficulty resolving it in the score booth, tell the umpires, and he/she will halt play until the issue is resolved. It is imperative that play not resume until you are caught up. If you have questions during the game, wait until all play has stopped and ask the umpire for assistance. They are very helpful.

Game Duration v T-ball games: 1 hr 15 min or 6 innings max v Rookie games: 1 hr 30 min or 6 innings max v Minor/Major games: must complete 6 innings unless 10 run rule shortens the game (no time limit)

Inning v Both teams bat per inning. v Represented by “Inning” on machine. v Press Inning button then +1 0 r -1 to change inning. v Visitor team bats 1 st. Home team bats last per inning. v The inning changes when visitor team comes to bat.

Scoreboard is for spectators only & not a necessary part of the game.

Scoreboard Machine v Most machines have 2 cords v 1 power plug v 1 aux cable v Some v Both are wireless & have 1 power cord are used similarly

Basic buttons v Home team “HOME” or “H” and visitor team “VISITOR” or “V” on machine. v Minors use “H” & “V” instead of home & visitor (home & visitor reversed) v Balls, strikes, outs v Balls will reset v Strikes will reset but will add out

T-ball & Rookie v Main power switch for T-ball & Rookies located on right side of score booth at Muenster field v Must be on to power any field v 2 switches inside storage closets under score booths v Inside light v Score board v Switch on both

Minor, Majors, & Junior v No main power switch v 2 switches inside storage closets under score booths v Light v Score board v Switch both on

Score Book Score book is official score for the game.

v One team per page v Date & team names on both pages v Some have home/visitor locations v. Mark a star on each page to know which page is for which team v Write start time at top of page. v Umpire will give this, not when the game is scheduled to start.

Batting Order v Copy each team’s batting line up on left side of team’s page v No need to write position v Player Names and jersey number v T-ball and Rookie - If player arrives after game begins, they are added to bottom of line up v For Minor/Major – Little League substitution rules will apply v The coach is responsible for notifying the umpire and score keeper

Batters / Inning v Keep track of who is batting v Indicate last batter of inning by drawing line v Cross out B’s (balls) & S’s (strikes) as called v Umpire “BLUE” will call ball/strike. v May not say ball or strike but may gesture with right arm/hand.

v Any swing at a pitched ball is a strike v Umpire may call strike if ball in strike zone v Foul balls are strikes unless 3 rd strike then they only count towards pitch count

v T-ball division 3 strikes either with a swing and miss and/or only a tee strike with no contact with the ball. An at-bat can be extended with foul balls. No walks. v Rookie division has 5 pitches per batter but the at-bat can be extended from a foul ball. No walks. v Minors & up have 3 strikes or walk

Play Symbols and Positions Symbols for play. Defensive Player Positions

Marking Runners v Batter hits or walks, advances to 1 st base v Mark line from home to 1 st base, then to 2 nd, 3 rd, & home v As runners progress around bases, mark their positions v Color in diamond if runner scores

v If a runner becomes an out, mark a cross-line at the point they are out v Strikeouts are represented by a “K” or backwards “K” in box v Mark which out they are in the box to keep track (out 1, 2, 3)

T-Ball & Rookie v T-ball & Rookie have 5 runs per inning rule in the first 4 innings. No run limit after 4 th inning. v Finish the play in the score book with advancing all runners but only 5 runs count towards score v. More runners may go home so color their diamonds v. True over-the-fence HR counts all runs regardless of score

v If a runner goes home and another runner makes 3 rd out, run does not count v Does not matter if runner crossed home before out made-still doesn’t count v Ask umpire if unsure

Minors & Up v Minors & up are required to keep pitch count v Use a pitch count sheet with team’s names and date on it v Write each pitcher’s name and jersey number and tally marks for each pitch thrown v Doesn’t hit matter if ball, strike, foul,

v Score v If keeper keeps pitch count the manager ask the umpire for an intentional walk then the pitcher will have 4 pitches added to his or her pitch count. Actual pitches are not thrown during an intentional walk.

Pitch Count Rules v The manager must remove the pitcher when said pitcher reaches the limit for his/her age group as noted below, but the pitcher may remain in the game at another position: League Age Maximum # Pitches in Single Game Rest Requirements 7 -8 years old 50 66+ pitches in a day - four (4) full calendar days of rest 9 -10 years old 75 51 -65 pitches in a day - three (3) full calendar days of rest 11 -12 years old 85 36 -50 pitches in a day - two (2) full calendar days of rest 13 -16 years old 95 21 -35 pitches in a day - one (1) full calendar day of rest 1 -20 pitches in a day - no (0) calendar day of rest required Note 1: A pitcher who delivers 41+ pitches in a game CANNOT play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day. Note 2: Any player who has played the position of catcher in four (4) plus innings in a game is not eligible to pitch on that day. v Score keeper must have both team managers sign on their pages at end of game as official score

Scorekeeper Rules Reminder Everything must be recorded in the Official Scorebook by a Scorekeeper for the Home Team. Don’t forget a pitch count recorder. Alert the Home Plate Umpire when the pitcher is close to his/her pitch count limit. No loud conversations, yelling or cheering from the Score Booth. No smoking. Never tell a manager when his/her team is batting out of order. Work in unison with other scorekeepers and be respectful at all times. Arrive early and ensure scorebook is ready prior to Umpire starting the game.

Thank You Next Clinic - March 21 st