How do I score a fielder's choice?

The Official Baseball Rules (2025 edition, used for the 2026 Baseball Canada season) define a fielder's choice as the act of a fielder who handles a fair grounder and, instead of throwing to first base to put out the batter-runner, throws to another base to try to put out a preceding runner.

Scorers also use the term to account for:

• the advance of the batter-runner who takes one or more extra bases when the fielder handling their safe hit attempts to put out a preceding runner;
• the advance of a runner (other than by stolen base or error) while a fielder is attempting to put out another runner; and
• the advance of a runner made solely because of the defensive team's indifference (an undefended steal).

Related rules:

• No hit: a base hit is not credited when a runner is forced out by the batted ball, or when a fielder handles the ball and puts out a preceding runner; the batter is charged with a time at bat but no hit (Rule 9.05(b)).
• Hit instead: if a fielder fails to put out a preceding runner and, in the scorer's judgment, the batter-runner could not have been put out at first with ordinary effort, score a hit (9.05(a)(6)).
• Two-base or three-base hit: when a batter advances more than one base on a safe hit and the defence tries to put out a preceding runner, the scorer decides whether it was a legitimate two-base or three-base hit or an advance on the fielder's choice (9.06(b)).
• RBI: a run that scores on a fielder's choice unaided by an error is credited as a run batted in, except on a force or reverse-force double play (9.04).