How to score a dropped third strike
Rule checked against Official Baseball Rules 5.05(a)(2) · 17 September 2026
Can the batter run?
The batter becomes a runner when a third strike is not caught, provided first base is unoccupied — or first base is occupied with two out.
| First base | Outs | Batter may run? |
|---|---|---|
| Empty | 0 or 1 | Yes — Batter runs. Nothing is forced. |
| Empty | 2 | Yes — Batter runs. |
| Occupied | 0 or 1 | No — Batter is out, caught or not — this is the half people forget. |
| Occupied | 2 | Yes — Batter runs, and reaching first FORCES the runner ahead. |
Why the exception exists: Without it, a catcher could drop the third strike deliberately and turn an easy double play.
One thing that is not part of this rule: the ball count. A full count changes nothing — only first base and the number of outs matter. Source: Official Baseball Rules 5.05(a)(2).
What goes in the scorebook
Scorebook shorthand is convention, not rule — it varies by scorebook. These are the common forms:
- K — Strikeout swinging.
- ꓘ (backwards K) — Strikeout looking.
- K2-3 — Third strike not caught; catcher recovered and threw to first for the out.
- K + WP or PB — Batter reached because the ball got away — a wild pitch or passed ball, depending on whose fault the scorer judges it.
The third cell is the one worth looking at twice. There is a strikeout in the box and no out on the board, and the batter is standing on first. That is not a mistake in the scorebook — it is what the rule produces.
Who gets charged with what
- The pitcher: Credited with a strikeout. It counts whether or not the batter reaches base.
- The batter: Charged with a strikeout AND an at-bat — even standing safely on first. It is not a hit and it is not a time on base by their own doing.
- The defence: No out is recorded if the batter reaches. The strikeout and the out are separate things here, which is the part that surprises people.
- The scoreboard: With two outs and the bases loaded, a run scores on a strikeout, because the batter reaching first forces everyone up.
This is why a pitcher can record four strikeouts in one inning. Three outs, four strikeouts, and the box score is right.
The one almost everybody gets wrong
Two outs, bases loaded, third strike gets away.
The batter may run — two outs, so the carve-out does not apply. And because the batter reaching first forces the runner on first, who forces second, who forces third: a run scores on a strikeout.
If your scorer records the out and ends the inning here, the run comes off the board and the next half-inning starts wrong. It is the single most expensive mistake on this page.
Youth baseball is not always the same
Many USSSA youth divisions remove the rule entirely: the batter is out whether or not the third strike is caught. Check your division before assuming the rule above applies.
Which is worth checking before a tournament rather than during one — and it is the same trap as pitch limits, where USSSA counts innings rather than pitches and Little League counts pitches.
Common questions
Does a dropped third strike count as a strikeout for the pitcher?
Yes. The pitcher is credited with the strikeout whether or not the batter reaches base. The strikeout and the out are recorded separately — a pitcher can strike out four batters in an inning this way.
Can the batter run on a dropped third strike with a runner on first?
Only with two outs. With a runner on first and fewer than two outs, the batter is out whether or not the catcher catches it. Without that carve-out a catcher could drop the ball deliberately and turn a double play.
Does the batter get charged an at-bat if they reach on a dropped third strike?
Yes — an at-bat and a strikeout, even though they are standing on first base. It is not a hit, and it does not help their on-base percentage.
Can a run score on a dropped third strike?
Yes. With two outs and the bases loaded, the batter reaching first forces the runner from third home. A run scores on a strikeout.
Is the dropped third strike rule the same in youth baseball?
Not always. Many USSSA youth divisions remove it — the batter is out caught or not. Check the rules for your division rather than assuming the Official Baseball Rules apply.
Or let the app ask you
DugoutOps knows whether the batter may run before you do — it checks first base and the out count the moment strike three is tapped, and only asks when the rule actually allows it. If your division removes the rule, it does not ask at all. The forced run scores itself.
Scoring is free on every plan. See what DugoutOps costs · ERA, WHIP and OPS calculators