Glossary
Error (E)
An error is the scorer's charge against a fielder whose misplay lets a batter reach base or a runner move up when ordinary effort would have made the out or held the runner. It is written E with the fielder's position number, such as E6.
An error is a judgment call by the scorekeeper, not the umpire. The question is whether a fielder at that level, making an ordinary effort, would have made the play. A routine ground ball that goes through the second baseman's legs is an error. A hard smash that the third baseman dives for and cannot hold is usually a hit, even though the ball touched the glove.
Errors come in two kinds on the score sheet: fielding errors (a bobble, a dropped fly ball, a dropped throw at a base) and throwing errors (a throw that pulls the first baseman off the bag or sails into the dugout). Write both as E plus the position number, and many scorers add a T for a throw, so a shortstop's wild throw is E6T and the first baseman who drops a good throw gets E3.
An error changes more than the fielding line. A batter who reaches on an error is charged with an at-bat and no hit, so it lowers the batting average like an out. Any run that scores because of it is unearned, which protects the pitcher's ERA. And an extra base taken because of the misplay is marked on the runner, for example a runner who goes from first to third on a throw that gets away is moved on E7.
Some misplays are not errors. A pitcher's wild pitch and a catcher's passed ball are scored as their own plays, not as errors. A fielder who makes a mental mistake, such as throwing to the wrong base, is not charged with an error unless the throw itself was bad. And a fielder who never touches a ball because they were slow to it usually is not charged either; the scorer only charges an error when ordinary effort would have made the play.
In youth games, keep the standard reasonable for the age. A ball a twelve-year-old shortstop should field is not the same ball an eight-year-old should, and a scorekeeper who calls every bobble an error makes the pitching stats meaningless and teaches nothing.
Examples
- Routine ground ball to short, the throw pulls the first baseman off the bag: E6 (or E6T), batter safe on the error.
- Fly ball to left field dropped for no reason: E7.
- Good throw to first, the first baseman drops it: E3.
- Single to right, the right fielder's throw to third gets away and the runner scores: a single, plus the runner's advance home marked E9.
Put it on a card: Score sheets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does reaching on an error count as an at-bat?
Yes. The batter is charged with an at-bat and no hit, so reaching on an error lowers the batting average like an out. It also does not count as a time on base for on-base percentage.
Who decides whether a play is a hit or an error?
The official scorer, or in most youth games the team's scorekeeper. The umpire only rules safe or out; the scorer decides how the batter got there.
Is a wild pitch an error?
No. Wild pitches and passed balls are scored as their own plays (WP and PB), not as errors.
How do you write an error on a score sheet?
Write E followed by the fielder's position number, such as E6 for the shortstop. Some scorers add T for a throwing error (E6T).
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