• To take to games so it isn't necessary to buy a complete game program just for the score sheet. This is the rule in many ball parks that either don't care about their fans, or whose fans don't care about scoring baseball, or whose fans don't care about wasting their money.
• To make a large format score sheet so that a young person can score baseball. In this case, the young person is my 7 year old son.
• To make a score sheet that is easy to keep the complete game story on a single page per team.
• To make a postscript version of the score sheet so that it is possible to modifiy and experiment with different formats and also make use of very accurate formatting and drawing.

Feel free to download and print the PDF version of the score sheet. A color printer is preferable. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.

I intend to develop a complete set of instructions to go with this some time in the future. For now please note that the score sheet is intended to be used in two possible ways. In the traditional scoring system, each inning is placed in its own column. You should write the inning number at the top of the column and use at least two pages per team (first six innings on the first page and last innings on the second page). In the compact form, write the inning number at the top of each box, and do not skip to the next column to start a new inning - just make a dark line between boxes of innings. When scoring in this way, in the not so rare event that a batter does not complete a plate appearance in an inning, erase the balls and strikes and make a note in the box where the last out or run was made.

Record plays between the bases where the runner was when the play was made, e.g. write 1B in the lower right quadrant when a player gets a single. Notes should be used whenever the traditional notation fails to capture the essentials of a play. Also, make notes to indicate where pitching changes are made. The first note of the game is the starting pitcher (for the other team). I prefer to make notes using lower case letters starting with a, b, etc. All scoring notations are made with upper case letters and numbers. The small boxes in the corners (top and lower left) are to write the number of the batter (1-9) that is at the plate when the runner advances or is out between those bases. The box between home and first is to write the number of RBIs credited to the player. The four small dots are bases, draw lines connecting them whenever a player advances safely to that base. When a run scores, the diamond can be darkened - this makes some people very happy, and I must admit that it makes me happy too. When an out is made by a player, write the out number (1-3) in the circle in the middle of the box. Circle it for emphasis if this makes you happy. And lastly, the boxes for B and S are to be checked or darkened when balls and strikes are given to a batter. And if you like to tick off the 2 strike fouls, there is a place for that too.

The score sheet and other information that appear here are copyright (c) 1999, by L. H. Smith. Anyone may print or copy and use this scoresheet provided that the copyright inscription is retained. Noone may charge money for this score sheet.

Original version, June 21, 1999. Larry H. Smith