How to Keep Score in Baseball
A baseball scoreboard records runs, not hits or base runners. Add one run each time a runner legally reaches home plate, and keep the teams’ totals through each half-inning.
Start a baseball scoreboard- Standard game
- 9 innings
- One inning
- Top and bottom halves
- Winner
- Most runs after regulation
How baseball scoring works
- 01
Add one run whenever a runner legally reaches home plate before the third out, subject to the play’s official ruling.
- 02
The visiting team bats in the top half and the home team bats in the bottom half of each inning.
- 03
After nine innings, the team with more runs wins. If the home team leads after the top of the ninth, the bottom half is not played.
- 04
If the score is tied after regulation, continue into extra innings under the competition’s runner-placement rules.
Choose the rules your event uses
Governing bodies, age groups, and tournament directors can use different formats. Confirm the format before play.
The professional standard and the default for most adult baseball.
Common in youth, amateur, and short-format competition. Local mercy rules may also end the game early.
MLB regular-season extra innings begin with an automatic runner on second; other leagues vary.
Keep the scoreboard clean
- ✓Add only runs confirmed by the plate umpire or official scorer.
- ✓Advance the inning after both teams complete their half-inning.
- ✓Use the seven-inning option when the league schedule calls for it.
Read the complete rules
This guide covers scoreboard essentials, not every playing rule. Local competition rules take precedence.