# Law 15: Official Scorer (Official Baseball Rules)

Baseball · Law 15: Official Scorer · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/baseball/laws/law-15-official-scorer/)

Who appoints the official scorer and what he alone decides, reviews of his decisions, what he must and must not do during a game, and how called, forfeited and suspended games go into the records.

## 15.151 The Official Scorer

Appointment, judgement decisions, reviews and the scorer's duties during the game.

### Test 1: The official scorer

- The WBSC appoints a Scoring Director, who designates an official scorer and up to two assistants for each game. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.1)
- The official scorer alone makes judgement decisions under the scoring rules, such as whether the batter reached on a hit or an error. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.2)
- The scorer records the game under the WBSC Official Rules of Baseball and the WBSC Scoring Manual. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.2.1)
- A review request must be made in writing or electronically within 12 hours of the end of the game. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.2.2.1)
- The official scorer shall not call anyone's attention to a batter batting out of turn. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.2.4)
- If the teams change sides before three outs, or play on after the third, the scorer notifies the Technical Commissioner or umpire chief at once. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.2.3)
- Any player who enters as a substitute batter or runner is recorded, whether or not he stays in the game. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.2.1.3)
- After that review no decision can be changed again. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.2.2)
- Appointment runs downwards: the federation, its director, the game's scorer, then his assistants. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.1)
- A player moved for a defensive shift has not changed positions, and the scorer does not record it as a new defensive position. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.2.1.2)

## 15.152 Game Over and Reports

Ties, run difference, forfeits, suspended games and the scorer's report.

### Test 1: Called, forfeited and suspended games, and the report

- If the game ends in a tie, the official scorer credits no winning or losing pitcher. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.3.1)
- A game ended by run difference is a regulation game, and all individual and team records are included. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.3.2)
- Before regulation, a forfeit leaves no individual or team statistics; the scorer only records and reports the reason. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.3.4)
- If the team winning by forfeit was leading, the scorer credits the pitchers who would have qualified had the game been called then. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.3.4.1)
- If the team winning by forfeit was losing or tied, no winning or losing pitcher is credited. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.3.4.2)
- The scorer notes the score, outs, runners, the count, both line-ups and the players already substituted. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.3.3)
- After each game, forfeited and protested ones included, the scorer reports to the Scoring Director in the WBSC formats. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.4)
- The scorer's note of score, outs, runners, count and line-ups is what lets a suspended game resume exactly where it stopped. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.3.3)
- A run-difference game counts in full; a regulation forfeit keeps records up to the forfeit; an earlier forfeit keeps none. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.3.2, 15.3.4)
- The scorer records the game as it happens and has at most fifteen minutes after it ends or is suspended to amend judgement decisions. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 15.2.2)

Sources: WBSC Official Rules of Baseball 2025-2026, Rule 15 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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