# Law 16: Batting Record (Official Baseball Rules)

Baseball · Law 16: Batting Record · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/baseball/laws/law-16-batting-record/)

How the official scorer credits hits and their value, game-ending hits, sacrifices, runs batted in, stolen bases and caught stealing, walks and strikeouts.

## 16.161 Hits

When a batter gets a hit, what kind of hit, and how a game-ending hit is scored.

### Test 1: When the batter gets a hit

- A ball hit so slowly that no fielder has a chance to make a play is scored as a hit. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.2.1.2)
- A fair ball that hits the pitcher's plate or a base and rebounds beyond ordinary effort is a hit. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.2.1.3)
- No hit is credited when a runner is forced out by the batted ball; it is a fielder's choice. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.2.2.1)
- A fair ball not touched by a fielder that touches a runner or umpire gives the batter a hit. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.2.1.5)
- In any doubtful situation the official scorer gives the batter the benefit of the doubt. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.2.1.7)
- A ball that touches a runner who is called out for being hit by an infield fly does not give the batter a hit. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.2.1.5)
- If a fielder fails to retire a preceding runner and ordinary effort would not have got the batter at first, the batter gets a hit. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.2.1.6)
- Whether it is a hit depends on whether ordinary effort would have retired the batter at first. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.2.1.6, 16.2.2.4)
- Nobody could reach it in time, so the scorer gives the batter the hit. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.2.1.2)
- If a fielder deflects a hard-hit ball but cannot make the play, or makes an exceptional but unsuccessful effort, the batter gets a hit. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.2.1.2, 16.2.1.7)

### Test 2: Extra-base hits and game-ending hits

- A hit is scored by the base where the batter stops: first, second, third, or a home run. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.3.1.1)
- A batter who overruns second or third after a safe hit and is out returning gets a hit for the last base he touched. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.3.3)
- When the batter is awarded two bases, three bases or a home run under the base-award rules, the scorer credits that hit. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.3.4)
- When the batter is called out on appeal for missing a base, the last base he touched safely sets the value of the hit. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.3.5)
- The scorer decides whether the batter earned the extra base; reaching second on a throw to another base is a single plus the throw. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.3.1.3)
- A game-ending hit is worth as many bases as the winning run advanced, here one base from third. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.4.1)
- When a batter ends a game with a home run out of the playing field, he and all runners on base score. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.4.3)
- Overrunning after a safe hit costs him the out, but he keeps credit for the last base he touched. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.3.3)
- One-base hit, two-base hit, three-base hit, home run. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.3.1.1)
- The batter gets as many bases as the winning runner advanced, here two from second, as long as he reached that many himself. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.4.1)

## 16.162 Sacrifices, RBIs and Steals

Sacrifice bunts and flies, runs batted in, walks, stolen bases and strikeouts.

### Test 1: Sacrifices, runs batted in and walks

- With fewer than two out, a bunt that advances runners while the batter is put out at first is a sacrifice bunt. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.5.1)
- With fewer than two out, a fly or line drive caught in the outfield on which a runner scores is a sacrifice fly. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.5.2.1)
- If the ball is dropped and the runner scores, and could have scored after a catch, it is still a sacrifice fly. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.5.2.2)
- No time at bat is charged to the batter for either kind of sacrifice. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.5)
- With the bases loaded, a batter who becomes a runner on a walk, hit by pitch, interference or obstruction gets an RBI. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.6.1.2)
- No RBI is credited when the batter grounds into a forced or reverse forced double play. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.6.2.1)
- When the fourth ball touches the batter, the scorer records a batter hit by the pitch. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.8.1.1)
- A sacrifice fly brings an RBI for the run that scores, and no time at bat is charged. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.5.2, 16.6.1.1)
- A bases-loaded walk forces a run home and earns the batter a run batted in. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.6.1.2)
- When the manager indicates he will not pitch to the batter, the scorer records an intentional base on balls. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.8.1.3)

### Test 2: Stolen bases, caught stealing and strikeouts

- A stolen base is an advance of one base without the aid of a hit, putout, error, force, fielder's choice, wild pitch, passed ball or balk. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.7.1)
- No error is charged on the catcher's bad throw unless it lets the stealing runner or another runner advance further. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.7.1.3)
- If a runner is thrown out on a double or triple steal attempt, no other runner gets a stolen base. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.7.2.1)
- An advance the defence does not try to prevent is defensive indifference, scored as a fielder's choice. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.7.2.3)
- A runner who goes over the base on his steal attempt and is tagged out is caught stealing. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.7.4.2)
- A strikeout is recorded even when the batter becomes a runner because the third strike was not caught. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.9.2.3)
- If a batter leaves with two strikes and the substitute completes the strikeout, it goes to the first batter. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.9.3)
- The scorer weighs the inning, the score and the fielders' attitude before calling it defensive indifference. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.7.2.3)
- A two-strike bunt caught on the fly in foul ground is not a strikeout; the fielder who caught it gets the out. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.9.2.4)
- A runner who left before the pitch is credited with a stolen base, and the wild pitch or passed ball is disregarded. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 16.7.1.2)

Sources: WBSC Official Rules of Baseball 2025-2026, Rule 16 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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