SECTION 21WILD PITCH
A pitcher shall be charged with a wild pitch when a legal
pitch is such that a catcher cannot catch or control it with or-
dinary eort, so that the batter reaches rst base or any runner
advances one or more bases.
Note: Generally, a pitch that hits the ground before touching
the catcher’s glove is scored as a wild pitch.
SECTION 22EARNED RUN
a. An earned run shall be charged against a pitcher when a
runner scores because of a safe hit, sacrice hit, sacrice y, sto-
len base, putout, elder’s choice, base on balls, hit batter, balk
or wild pitch (even when the wild pitch is a third strike), pro-
vided that in each case it is before the defensive team has had
an opportunity to make a third putout.
Note: In determining earned runs, the scorer shall reconstruct
the inning as if there were no errors or passed balls. Give the pitch-
er the benet of the doubt in determining the advancement of run-
ners, had the defensive team been errorless.
b. No earned run shall be charged to a relief pitcher if the
runner was on base when the relief pitcher entered the game.
Likewise, if a batter has more balls than strikes, unless the count
is one ball, no strikes, when a relief pitcher enters the game
and the batter receives a base on balls, charge that action to
the preceding pitcher. Any other action of the batter shall be
charged to the relief pitcher.
c. No run shall be earned when scored by a runner whose
time as a runner is prolonged by an error, if such runner would
have been put out by errorless play.
d. An error by a pitcher is treated exactly the same as an er-
ror by any other elder in computing earned runs.
e. When pitchers are changed during an inning, the relief
pitcher shall not be charged with any run (earned or unearned)
scored by a runner who reaches base on a elder’s choice that
puts out a runner left on base by a preceding pitcher.
Note: The intent of this rule is to charge each pitcher with the
number of runners he put on base, rather than with the individual
runners.
f. When pitchers are changed during an inning, a relief pitch-
er shall not have the benet of errors made earlier in the inning.
Thus, he will be charged with earned runs for which he is totally
responsible.
SECTION 23STRIKEOUT
A strikeout is credited to the pitcher when a third strike is de-
livered to a batter, even if the third strike is a wild pitch or is not
caught or the batter reaches rst base. It also is a strikeout if an
attempted bunt on a third strike is a foul that is not caught.
SECTION 24GAME SUMMARY
The game summary should include all the items contained
in the Ocial NCAA Box Score, as shown later in this section.
SECTION 25WINNING AND LOSING PITCHERS
a. For all games of eight or more innings, a starting pitcher
must pitch at least ve complete innings to receive credit as the
winning pitcher. For all games of fewer than eight innings, the
starting pitcher must pitch at least four innings to get credit for
the win. Additionally, the winning pitcher’s team must be in the
lead when he is replaced and must remain in the lead for the
rest of the game.
b. If the starting pitcher does not pitch enough innings, the
win is credited to a relief pitcher in the following manner:
(1) The winning relief pitcher shall be the one who is the
pitcher of record when his team goes ahead and remains
ahead throughout the remainder of the game. No pitch-
er may receive credit for a victory if the opposing team
ties the score or goes ahead after he has left the game.
Note: Whenever the score is tied, the game becomes a new
contest insofar as the winning and losing pitchers are concerned.
Exception—If a relief pitcher conforms to the above regula-
tions but pitches briey and ineectively, the scorer should not
credit him with a win. If a succeeding relief pitcher pitches eec-
tively and helps maintain the lead, the scorer should award the
win to that succeeding pitcher.
(2) By prearrangement, if three or more pitchers are to be
used, the pitcher of record shall be considered the win-
ning pitcher.
c. When a batter or runner is substituted for a pitcher, all
runs scored by his team during that inning are to his credit in
determining the pitcher of record.
d. The starting pitcher shall be charged with the loss if he is
replaced at any time while his team is behind and remains be-
hind for the remainder of the game. Similarly, any relief pitcher
who is the pitcher of record when the opposing team assumes
the lead and never relinquishes it is charged with the loss.
Note: The pitcher of record shall be the one who is in the game
at the time the winning team gains the lead, provided that the
lead never is relinquished, or the one who is charged with the runs
by which the opposing team takes the lead, provided that the lead
never is relinquished.
e. To receive credit for a shutout, the pitcher must pitch the
entire game or enter the game with no outs in the rst inning
and pitch the rest of the game without any runs scoring.
SECTION 26SAVE
If a relief pitcher meets ALL of the following conditions, the
ocial scorer should credit that pitcher with a save:
a. He is the nishing pitcher in a game won by his team;
b. He is not credited with the win; and
c. He meets one of the following conditions:
(1) He enters the game with a lead of not more than three
runs and pitches at least one inning;
(2) He enters the game with the potential tying run on base,
at bat or on deck; or
(3) He pitches eectively for at least three innings.
Note: Not more than one save may be credited in each game.
SECTION 27PROVING BOX SCORE
To prove a box score, the total of the team’s plate appear-
ances (times at bat, bases on balls, hit batters, sacrice bunts,
sacrice ies and batters awarded rst base because of interfer-
ence or obstruction) must equal the total of the team’s runs,
players left on base and the opposing team’s putouts.
SECTION 28CALLED/FORFEITED GAMES
AND NO CONTEST
a. If a regulation game is called, include the record of all in-
dividual and team actions up to the moment the game ends as
specied in Rule 5-8-b.
A.R. 1—If the scoring during an incomplete inning has no
bearing on the outcome of the contest, include all individual
and team records.
A.R. 2—If it is a tie game, do not enter a winning or losing
pitcher.
b. If a regulation game is forfeited, include the record of all
individual and team actions up to the time of the forfeit. If the
winning team by forfeit is ahead at the time of forfeit, enter as
winning and losing pitchers the players who would have quali-
ed if the game had been called at the time of forfeit. If the
winning team by forfeit is behind or the score is tied at the time
of the forfeit, do not enter a winning or losing pitcher. If a game
is forfeited before it becomes a regulation game, include no re-
cords. Report only the fact of the forfeit.