# Law 17: Fielding Record (Official Baseball Rules)

Baseball · Law 17: Fielding Record · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/baseball/laws/law-17-fielding-record/)

Putouts, including the automatic ones, assists, what is and is not an error, double plays, wild pitches and passed balls.

## 17.171 Putouts and Assists

Who gets the putout and the assist, including automatic putouts.

### Test 1: Putouts and assists

- On an uncaught infield fly the scorer credits the putout to the fielder who, in his judgement, could have made the catch. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.1.4.1)
- The putout goes to the fielder the runner evaded. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.1.4.3)
- The putout goes to the fielder nearest the point where the runner passed the other. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.1.4.4)
- An assist is credited to each fielder who throws or deflects the ball so as to produce an out, or one that an error prevented. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.2.2.1)
- No assist goes to the pitcher on a strikeout, unless he fields an uncaught third strike and throws for an out. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.2.3.1)
- However often he handles it in the run-down, a fielder earns a single assist. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.2.2.1.2)
- An automatic putout goes to the catcher when the batter is out for interfering with him. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.1.3.5)
- The fielder who throws gets the assist; the one who completes the out gets the putout. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.1, 17.2)
- When an appeal after the play is started by the pitcher's throw, he and he alone is credited with an assist. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.2.2.1.4)
- The catcher gets an automatic putout when the batter is called out on strikes. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.1.3.1)

## 17.172 Errors

What counts as an error and what does not.

### Test 1: Errors

- An error is charged to a fielder whose bad action on a play benefits the offensive team. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.3.1)
- Slow handling of the ball without a mechanical misplay is not an error. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.3.1.1)
- It is not necessary for a fielder to touch the ball to be charged with an error. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.3.1.2)
- Dropping a foul fly that prolongs the batter's time at bat is an error, whatever the batter does afterwards. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.3.2.2)
- The scorer does not charge mental or judgement mistakes as errors; throwing to the wrong base is one of them. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.3.4.2)
- The scorer does not charge an error to a pitcher who fails to cover first base. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.3.4.1)
- Only one error is charged on a bad throw, however many bases the runners advance. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.3.3)
- The fielder whose misplay let the batter reach is charged with the error. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.3.2.1)
- When bases are awarded for interference or obstruction, the scorer charges one error to the fielder who committed it. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.3.3.1)
- Letting a ground ball through the legs that ordinary effort would have fielded is an error. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.3.2.3)

## 17.173 Double Plays and Pitches That Get Away

Double plays, grounding into one, wild pitches and passed balls.

### Test 1: Double plays, wild pitches and passed balls

- A wild pitch is too high, low or wide, or in the dirt, for the catcher to catch or stop with ordinary effort, letting runners advance. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.5.1.1)
- A passed ball is charged when the catcher fails to hold a pitch he could have controlled with ordinary effort. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.5.2.1)
- If the third strike is a wild pitch that lets the batter reach first, the scorer records both a strikeout and a wild pitch. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.5.1.3)
- No wild pitch or passed ball is charged if the defence makes an out before any runner advances. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.5.3)
- With fewer than two out and runners forced, an infield grounder that causes two or three force outs is charged as grounding into a double play. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.4.2)
- Each fielder who makes a putout or an assist when two or three players are put out shares in the double or triple play. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.4.1)
- Participation in a double play is credited for a forced double play and for a reverse double play alike. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.4.1.3)
- A third strike the catcher should have held, letting the batter reach first, is a strikeout and a passed ball. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.5.2.2)
- Two force outs on one grounder with fewer than two out go down against the batter. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.4.2)
- A pitch that touches the ground before reaching the catcher and cannot be caught, letting a runner advance, is a wild pitch. (Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 17.5.1.2)

Sources: WBSC Official Rules of Baseball 2025-2026, Rule 17 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Rules, not reproduced)

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