Using GameChanger for Scorekeeping in Baseball

As someone who's been around baseball for much of my lifetime, one of the greatest innovations brought to baseball is the ability to keep book digitally. Gone are the days of needing a paper scorebook and pencil; enter GameChanger, the app for your iPad or tablet that allows you to keep score with the click of a button.

Often times players or parents get stuck with the job of holding the team iPad for scoring, and way too many times they aren't properly trained in what to do or how to set it up. Luckily, the app is pretty simple to figure out on the fly, but here's some tips that will save you from panicking the next time you get behind after a big play.

Pop out? Fly ball? Line drive?

Let's make it clear. If a ball is hit to the outfield, it's not a pop out (unless it barely leaves the infield). To say a ball hit to the warning track is a pop out is just wrong. On the flip side, a hitter cannot fly out to an infielder. That would either be a line drive or a pop out. A line drive is generally hit harder and lower to the ground 'on a line.'

Hit vs. Error

This should be straightforward, but people like to confuse it. If the ball touches someone's glove and they don't make the play, it's an error. The only exception to this is if the play required 'extraordinary effort.' An example of this would be a diving play. If the fielder played hacky sack with the ball before throwing it to first, it's an error. Even if it's your son.

One more situation to consider is errors in judgement. If the ball rolls through a fielder's legs, or if a ball gets lost in the sun, it's considered an error- even if no one touched it. 

Which fielder is selected?

Seeing "Joe G. hits a double to the shortstop" doesn't make any sense. If a hard ground ball went through the shortstops legs, the ball went to the left fielder and the error was on the shortstop.

Where do it set the iPad/tablet?

At some point in between innings and during pitching changes, the tablet will need to be set down. How do you do this without somebody knocking it off the bench or stepping on it on the ground? The Fence Tray. Attach this portable table to any chain link fence and use it for handsfree scoring.