Calling All Scorekeepers!!!

Now Your Catching On !!

 

Here is the link to the ATEC Scoring Manual:

http://nfca.org.ismmedia.com/ISM2/MultimediaManager/ATEC.pdf

It is a great guide for all levels.

 

Here is a link to NCAA softball scoring handbook.

NCAA Scoring

 

Seems that is why it should be a good idea to review the stats collected right after the game (or inning if possible) to make sure. Read the NCAA scoring rules, they allow a hit much more often than I would have thought.

 

the key to this is one thing and one thing only.. had the SS fielded the ball cleanly and thrown to first would the batter have been out? Anything else is irrelevant.

Assume these slightly different facts.. runner on second LH hitter with speed hits it deep in the 5.5 hole... no way you throw out batter at first but runner on second sets out for third and is thrown out with the play right in front of her. This is a hit... yes its subjective but its thats the way the game of softball and baseball is. This is NO different than a solid single to the outfield with a runner on second and she is then thrown out at the plate for the third out... its still a hit. BTW, if you have a force set up in the above scenario with runners on first AND second then this is not a hit.

 

The girls have learned that chocolate has been known to sway the scorekeeper's desicions.

Just kidding. I am known as a hit miser.

Softball Guru, I agree about the high batting averages. I inadvertently touched off a little forum war up here when I questioned how a team could have 3- .600+ hitters and only win 5 games all season. Up here, the home team reports the game results to the newspapers and I see differences from our games when we are the visitors. I am sure that the other team sees differences too from my scorekeeping.

 

Good Question

 

Hey Stingray

We need to meet oneday, bring the North to the South...wait a minute there's too many of you down here now....just kidding...but I like your philosophy !!!

Guru

 

If the SS had not bobbled the ball, faked the throw to first and the same thing happened, how would you suggest scoring it?

... Fielder's choice. If runner is SAFE at third its the same.. fielder's choice and the batter is O for that AB. If this girl was a slapper who got down the line in < 3 secs and its a high bounder over short = hit! Scoring is a judgement call in many instances... that is never going to change. Honesty is the most important component in it.. along with a healthy dose of competency.

Again, bottom line in this scenario is: had SS thrown to first would THIS batter have been out based on where the ball was hit, how hard it was hit and even IMO taking into account the defensive prowess of the player it was hit to.

what this should morph into is what some coaches keep as an additional stat... Monte keeps something, and I may not have it named correctly, a stat called a quality At Bat. In other words if a batter hits a hard shot but right at someone then they get some credit for it in his stat scheme. I am a big believer in pitch counts and OBP. I used to give some credit (not in terms of batting avg) for any AB with over 5 pitches ... regardless of outcome.

 

Check this one out......and its a true gig that happened in a MLB game.
Batter pops up foul to 3b, 3b charlie browns the catch and the ball drops out of his glove. Next pitch, batter ropes a single. How do you record this At Bat? The official score was a hit by the batter, and an error on the 3b. OK, OK, I know ya'll are gonna freak on the Fish, but trust me on this one, its the truth.
What hit me in the head for the first time is that scorekeeping is judged considering many options. Scoring the defense is as everybit important as scoring offense.
So in the above case, I guess that if the batter, who should have been out on the pop fly foul to 3b , ended up getting out one way or another, then the 3b would not receive any error.
Fishdad, way down the LF line in the stands.