New to softball?
Stats glossary
Every abbreviation you'll see on a box score, standings page or player card — explained in plain English.
New to the league? What is AUSL softball → · Softball stats explained (OPS, SLG, ERA) → · Softball positions & numbers → · How to watch AUSL softball → · How Athletes Unlimited scoring works →
Hitting
- AVGBatting average
- Hits divided by at-bats. .300 is excellent, .250 is around average.
- OBPOn-base percentage
- How often a hitter reaches base by any means — hits, walks or being hit by a pitch.
- SLGSlugging percentage
- Total bases per at-bat. It rewards extra-base hits, so it measures power.
- OPSOn-base plus slugging
- OBP + SLG in one number. The quickest way to compare two hitters. Over .900 is star level.
- ABAt-bats
- Plate appearances that end in a hit or an out. Walks and sacrifices don't count.
- PAPlate appearances
- Every trip to the plate, including walks and hit-by-pitches.
- HHits
- Times the batter reached base safely on a batted ball.
- 2B / HRDoubles / home runs
- Two-base hits and balls hit out of the park.
- RBIRuns batted in
- Runs that scored because of this batter's plate appearance.
- RRuns
- Times this player crossed home plate.
- BB / SOWalks / strikeouts
- Free passes taken, and times the batter struck out.
- SBStolen bases
- Bases taken on the pitcher and catcher without a hit.
- ISOIsolated power
- SLG minus AVG — raw extra-base power with singles stripped out.
- OPS+Adjusted OPS
- OPS compared to the league, where 100 is exactly average and 130 is 30% better.
Pitching
- ERAEarned run average
- Earned runs allowed per seven innings. Lower is better; under 2.00 is elite.
- WHIPWalks and hits per inning pitched
- Base runners allowed per inning. Around 1.00 is excellent.
- IPInnings pitched
- Outs recorded divided by three. ".1" means one extra out, not a tenth of an inning.
- W-LWins and losses
- Credited to the pitcher of record when their team takes or loses the lead.
- SVSaves
- Finishing a close win without giving up the lead.
- SO / KStrikeouts
- Batters retired on three strikes.
- EREarned runs
- Runs that scored without help from a fielding error.
- GSGames started
- Games in which this pitcher threw the first pitch.
Team & standings
- PCTWinning percentage
- Wins divided by games played, shown as .625 rather than 62.5%.
- GBGames back
- How far a club trails first place. Each win by the leader plus each loss here adds half a game.
- RS / RARuns scored / runs allowed
- Offense and defense across the whole season.
- DIFFRun differential
- Runs scored minus runs allowed. A strong predictor of how good a team really is.
- L10Last ten
- Record over the most recent ten games — a read on current form.
- StreakWinning or losing streak
- W3 means three straight wins; L2 means two straight losses.
- Magic numberMagic number
- Any combination of this club's wins and the chaser's losses that clinches a playoff spot.
- Elimination numberElimination number
- The mirror of the magic number — how close a club is to being knocked out.
Softball terms & gameplay
- BuntBunt
- The batter squares up and taps the ball softly into the infield instead of swinging, usually to move a runner up.
- SlapSlap hitting
- A left-handed batter starts moving toward first base while making contact, using speed to beat out a soft grounder.
- Rise ballRise ball
- A pitch thrown with backspin that climbs as it reaches the plate, getting hitters to swing under it.
- Drop ballDrop ball
- A pitch that dives downward late, producing ground balls and swings over the top.
- ChangeupChangeup
- A slower pitch thrown with the same arm motion as a fastball to throw off the hitter's timing.
- ScrewballScrewball
- A pitch that breaks in toward the pitcher's arm side — in on a same-side hitter.
- CirclePitching circle
- The 16-foot circle around the pitching rubber. Pro softball pitchers throw from 43 feet.
- Force outForce out
- An out made by touching a base before a runner who is forced to advance gets there.
- Tag upTag up
- On a caught fly ball, a runner must touch their base before trying to advance.
- Double playDouble play
- Two outs recorded on the same play, often a ground ball turned at second and first.
- Walk-offWalk-off
- A hit or play in the home team's final inning that ends the game immediately with a win.
- International tiebreakerExtra-innings runner
- In extra innings, each half-inning begins with a runner already placed on second base.
- Run ruleMercy rule
- A game can end early when one team leads by a set number of runs after enough innings.
- DP / FlexDesignated player / flex
- Softball's version of the DH: the DP hits for the flex player, who plays defense only.
- Seven inningsRegulation game
- A softball game is seven innings, not nine as in baseball.