Baseball Rules
What Is a Fielder's Choice
What Is a Fielder's Choice
in Baseball?
When a fielder skips the easy out at first to chase a runner on the bases — that's a fielder's choice. Here's exactly how it works, how it's scored, and why it matters for stats.
⚡ Quick Answer
Definition
A fielder's choice is when a fielder fields a ground ball and throws to retire a baserunner instead of the batter at first base. The batter reaches base safely as a result.
Scored as
Not a hit. Counts as an at-bat. Does count toward on-base percentage.
Notation
FC — recorded in the scorebook as FC. The fielder gets an assist; the player covering the bag gets the putout if an out is made.
Most common
Runner on first, ground ball to an infielder who throws to second to get the lead runner instead of taking the easy out at first.
Counts as hit?
No. The batter reaches base but is not credited with a hit. Batting average goes down, OBP goes up.
A fielder's choice happens constantly in baseball and most casual fans don't realize they're watching one. The defense could make the easy out at first — but they decide the more important play is somewhere else on the diamond. The batter reaches base, but it doesn't go in the scorebook as a hit. Here's how it works, how it gets scored, and why it matters for both the game and a player's stats.
What is a fielder's choice?
According to MLB's official rules, a fielder's choice is an act of a fielder who fields a ground ball and attempts to put out a preceding runner at second, third, or home instead of throwing to first to retire the batter. The batter reaches first base safely as a result of that choice — but because no hit was required to get there, the play is recorded as a fielder's choice, not a hit.
The term also covers a second scenario: when a baserunner advances on a play not directly caused by a hit or error. If a runner on first moves to third while the fielder is throwing to second on a ground ball, that advancement is also recorded as a fielder's choice.
6,268
Fielder's choice plays recorded across MLB in the 2021 season
FC
Official scorekeeper notation for a fielder's choice play
0
Hits credited — a fielder's choice never counts as a hit regardless of outcome
A real fielder's choice example
Here is exactly how a fielder's choice plays out in a real game situation so the scoring makes sense.
📋 Step-by-step example
1
The setup: Runner on first base, nobody out. The batter hits a sharp ground ball to the shortstop.
2
The decision: The shortstop could throw to first for the easy out — but the runner on first is already moving toward second. The shortstop throws to second instead to retire the lead runner.
3
The result: The runner is out at second. The batter reaches first safely. Nobody scored.
4
How it's scored: The shortstop gets an assist. The second baseman gets the putout. The batter is credited with an at-bat but no hit. The official scorer records FC in the book. Batting average goes down, OBP goes up.
The most common fielder's choice situations
Runner on first — ground ball to the infield
The most common fielder's choice in baseball. Runner on first, ground ball hit to the shortstop or second baseman. Instead of taking the easy out at first, the fielder throws to second to get the lead runner. The batter is safe at first. The shortstop or second baseman gets an assist, the player covering second gets the putout — and the batter gets charged with an at-bat but no hit.
Runner on third, less than two outs — play at the plate
The defense decides preventing a run is more important than retiring the batter. Ground ball hit, fielder throws home instead of first. The runner is out at the plate, the batter is safe at first. Classic fielder's choice — the defense made a strategic decision and the scorekeeper records it accordingly.
Runners on first and second — lead runner play
Ground ball to the second baseman with runners on first and second. Instead of going to first for the easy out, the second baseman throws to third to retire the lead runner. The batter is safe at first on the fielder's choice. This situation often sets up a double play if the defense reads it right — or leaves the bases loaded if they misread it.
Fielder's choice and the double play
The fielder's choice is often the first half of a double play attempt. Ground ball to the shortstop, throw to second for the force out — then relay to first to get the batter. If the double play is completed, the batter is out and no fielder's choice is recorded. If only the lead runner is retired and the batter reaches first, that is when the fielder's choice appears in the box score. The key is whether the relay to first beat the batter.
Fielder's choice vs. forced out — what's the difference?
This trips up a lot of fans. A forced out and a fielder's choice often look identical on the field — but they are recorded differently and mean different things.
A forced out happens when a runner is required to advance because the batter became a runner and all bases behind them are occupied. The defense retires that runner at the next base. In this case the batter is out, not safe. There is no fielder's choice because the defense completed the play.
A fielder's choice happens when the defense chooses to go for the lead runner but the batter still reaches base safely. The batter is not out. The defense made a decision, and the batter benefited from it. Same look on the field, different result in the scorebook.
| Fielder's Choice | Forced Out | Error | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batter result | Safe at first | Out at first | Safe at first |
| Counts as hit? | No | No | No |
| Counts as at-bat? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Counts toward OBP? | Yes | No — batter is out | No |
| What happened | Fielder chose to throw elsewhere | Defense completed the double play | Fielder failed to make a routine play |
How a fielder's choice affects stats
This is where fielder's choices get interesting — they affect different statistics in different ways.
Batting Average — goes down
A fielder's choice counts as an at-bat but not a hit. So it reduces batting average. A player who goes 1-for-4 with a fielder's choice takes an at-bat hit without a hit to show for it.
On-Base Percentage — goes up
OBP counts every time a batter safely reaches base. A fielder's choice gets the batter on base, so it counts toward OBP. This is one reason OBP is considered a more complete measure of offensive value than batting average alone.
RBI — may apply
If a runner scores as a result of a fielder's choice, the batter can be credited with an RBI — as long as the run scored wasn't the direct result of a defensive error. The run has to be earned for the RBI to count.
Hits — never credited
A fielder's choice is never a hit, period. Even if the defense botches the play at second and nobody gets out, the batter still only gets credit for a fielder's choice. The intent of the fielder is what matters, not the outcome.
💡 When does a plate appearance NOT count as an at-bat?
A fielder's choice does count as an at-bat. The situations that do not count as at-bats are: sacrifice bunts, sacrifice flies, walks, hit by pitches, and catcher's interference. A fielder's choice is not one of those exceptions — it goes in the at-bat column every time.
Fielder's choice vs. error — what's the difference?
Both result in the batter reaching base without a hit, and both affect stats differently. The key difference is intent and execution.
| Fielder's Choice | Error | |
|---|---|---|
| What happened | Fielder chose to throw elsewhere instead of retiring batter | Fielder failed to make a routine play |
| Counts as hit? | No | No |
| Counts as at-bat? | Yes | Yes |
| Counts toward OBP? | Yes | No |
| Who decides? | Automatic — fielder clearly chose another target | Official scorer judgment call |
| Intent | Deliberate strategic decision | Mistake — play that should have been made |
The official scorer determines whether a play is a fielder's choice or an error. Fielder's choices are generally straightforward — the fielder obviously threw to a different base. Errors require more judgment, since the scorer has to decide whether an ordinary fielder making ordinary effort would have retired the batter. Difficult plays that are missed are not scored as errors.
How is a fielder's choice scored?
The official scorer records a fielder's choice as FC in the scorebook. The fielder who made the play gets an assist. If an out was recorded — say the lead runner was retired at second — the fielder covering second gets the putout. If no out was made because the defense threw late or wide, it is still scored as a fielder's choice — not an error — as long as the fielder made a legitimate throw to the correct base.
One thing that trips up a lot of people: the fielder's choice stands regardless of whether the attempted play succeeds. If the shortstop throws to second trying to get the runner and the throw pulls the second baseman off the bag, nobody is out — but the batter still gets a fielder's choice, not a hit. The decision to throw elsewhere was made, and that is what the scorekeeper records.
📋 How to read FC in a box score
When you see FC in a box score or play-by-play, it means the batter reached base on a fielder's choice. The numbers next to it describe the fielders involved — for example, FC 6-4 means the shortstop (6) threw to the second baseman (4) to retire the lead runner. Same notation system as any other infield play.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fielder's choice in baseball?
A fielder's choice is when a fielder fields a ground ball and throws to retire a baserunner at another base instead of throwing to first to retire the batter. The batter reaches first safely. It is not scored as a hit — it counts as an at-bat but not a hit, so batting average decreases while on-base percentage increases.
Does a fielder's choice count as a hit?
No. A fielder's choice never counts as a hit. The batter reaches base, but because the fielder chose to throw elsewhere rather than being unable to retire the batter, no hit is credited. The at-bat counts against batting average.
Does a fielder's choice count as an at-bat?
Yes. A fielder's choice counts as an official at-bat. It does not count as a hit, so it reduces batting average. However, it does count toward on-base percentage since the batter reached base safely.
What is the difference between a fielder's choice and a forced out?
A forced out is when the defense retires the lead runner and completes the play — the batter is out. A fielder's choice is when the defense goes for the lead runner but the batter still reaches first safely. Same situation, different result. A forced out records an out on the batter; a fielder's choice leaves the batter safe at first with an at-bat and no hit.
What is the difference between a fielder's choice and an error?
A fielder's choice is a deliberate strategic decision — the fielder chose to throw to another base instead of retiring the batter. An error is a mistake — the fielder failed to make a play that should have been made with ordinary effort. A fielder's choice counts toward OBP; an error does not.
What does FC mean in baseball?
FC stands for fielder's choice. It is the official scorekeeper notation used when a batter reaches base because a fielder chose to throw to another base instead of first. You will see FC in box scores and official scorebooks. The numbers after FC describe the fielders involved — FC 6-4 means shortstop to second baseman.
Can you get an RBI on a fielder's choice?
Yes. If a runner scores as a result of a fielder's choice play — and the run was not enabled by a defensive error — the batter can be credited with an RBI. The run has to be considered earned for the RBI to count.
Does a fielder's choice count toward on-base percentage?
Yes. On-base percentage counts every time a batter safely reaches base, including via fielder's choice. This is one of the key differences between OBP and batting average — OBP captures more of the batter's actual offensive contribution.
Is a fielder's choice a double play?
Not exactly. A fielder's choice is often the first half of a double play attempt — the fielder throws to second to retire the lead runner, then the relay goes to first to complete the double play. If both outs are made, the batter is out and it is simply recorded as a double play. The fielder's choice only appears in the box score when the batter reaches first safely — meaning the double play was not completed.
A fielder's choice is one of those plays that looks simple but has real stat implications. The batter reaches base — but takes an at-bat hit to their batting average while getting a small bump to their OBP. The defense made a strategic decision, not a mistake. Understanding the difference between a fielder's choice, a forced out, and an error is one of the things that separates a real baseball fan from a casual one.