Scorekeeping 101

Tsunami Softball uses GameChanger scoring. There is a lot of information to keep track of, so please reference this guide and feel free to ask questions as you learn! If you prefer to learn via video instead, you can view some demonstrations from West Sugar Land Little League Baseball on Youtube. The playlist contains two videos.

Game Changer App Discussion and Demos

In the set up video it shows 10 players on the field- know that we play with 9 on the field not ten. The lineup may show ten if you have an EH or DP/Flex listed for HS and USA or continuous lineup for Little League.

If you want some hands-on practie, on the GameChanger App you can practice scoring a game by selecting a team then clicking on the settings (top right) then going down to Practice Scoring a Game.

About GameChanger

Scoring on GameChanger (GC) is about describing how the ball traveled, not just where it landed. For new users, understanding the difference between these types is key to accurate stat tracking, particularly for Hard Hit Ball (HHB) metrics, which are used to measure pitcher effectiveness and hitter power.

Options

Here is a breakdown of the common "Ball in Play" options in GameChanger:

Line Drive (LD)

What it is: A ball hit sharply, traveling on a straight or nearly straight trajectory.
GameChanger Logic: GC interprets a "Line Drive" as a hard-hit ball (HHB). Even if a batter hits a weak liner directly to an infielder, calling it a line drive marks it as a hard-hit ball.
Tip: Think of a bullet or a "rope" that gives the defense very little time to react.

Hard Ground Ball (HGB)

What it is: A ball hit sharply enough that it travels through the infield quickly and often reaches the outfield grass, or requires a fielder to move quickly to make a play.
GameChanger Logic: Like a line drive, this is classified as a hard-hit ball (HHB). It is used to show a pitcher is giving up solid contact, even if it's on the ground.
Tip: If a ball is hit slowly, just use "Ground Ball" (GB).

Pop Fly (Pop Up)

What it is: A ball hit very high into the air, but does not travel far, usually landing in the infield or shallow outfield.
GameChanger Logic: Pop flies are generally considered "soft" contact. They are high-arc, low-velocity balls.
Tip: Use this for infielders or catchers making easy catches, or for those "blooper" hits that just barely go over the infield.

Fly Ball (FB)

What it is: A ball hit high in the air to the outfield, generally with more distance than a pop fly.
GameChanger Logic: Similar to pop flies, these are considered "soft" or "medium" contact in terms of HHB stats.
Tip: A ball caught by an outfielder is almost always a fly ball.

Summary Table for Quick Decisions

Hit Type	Description	Trajectory	Speed	GC Stat Impact
Line Drive	"Rope" or bullet	Straight, low	Very Fast	Hard Hit Ball (HHB)
Hard Grounder	Sharp grounder	Ground	Fast	Hard Hit Ball (HHB)
Pop Fly	High arc, short dist	Very High	Slow	Soft/Moderate
Fly Ball	Deep Arc	High	Moderate/Fast	Soft/Moderate

Pro-Tips for Beginners

HHB Matters: If you want to track which pitchers are getting hit hardest, be strict about using "Line Drive" and "Hard Ground Ball".
Weak Liner Dilemma: If a player hits a "weak" line drive that is easily caught, it is still technically a line drive based on trajectory, but to avoid falsely giving them a "Hard Hit Ball" stat, some scorers will call it a Pop Fly or regular Fly Ball.
"Soft" Liner: A soft liner to the infield can be marked as a popup.
It's Subjective: These are judgements. The most important thing is to be consistent throughout the game.

If the teams are playing with a five run limit per half inning and the team scored more than the allowed runs you may adjust it by going to the menu and selecting manual overrides then adjusting the score. That way the play is still correctly recorded correctly and the next player up to bat will be correct.

(Some games do not have the five run switch, others do, and some have that on the last play you can score more than five runs so just clarify that before the game begins)

Sources

This guide was compiled with help from other guides across the Internet. If you would like to read more, we have linked our sources here.