Editing Official scorer (section)

====Errors====
The decision to charge an error to the defense is the most well-known responsibility of the official scorer. Some situations automatically call for an error to be charged to the defense, but most charged errors are the result of a play that requires a judgment call. Broadly speaking, an error is charged to the defense when an "ordinary effort" by the defense would have either recorded an [[Out (baseball)|out]] or prevented a runner from advancing, but the defense fails to do so. When an error is charged, the official scorer must charge the error to one of the [[Baseball positions|fielders]] who were involved in the play. Errors are primarily discussed in rule 10.12.<ref name="bbskE">Wirkmaa, pp.140–169</ref>

One exception in this rule occurs when the defense makes at least one out and attempts to complete a [[double play]] or [[triple play]]. An error is not charged in that situation if a wild throw allows the runner to reach [[Safe (baseball)|safely]]. If a wild throw allows the runner to advance an additional base, an error may then be charged for the additional advance. However, if an accurate throw is made in time to complete a double play or triple play, but the fielder on the base fails to make the catch, an error may be charged.<ref name="bbskE" />

Rule 10.12 also states that an error should not be charged for a "mental mistake" by the defense. Rather, errors are charged when the defense attempts to make a logical play against the offense, but fails to record an out or prevent an advance due to a mechanical misplay. There is one rare exception to this rule against charging an error for a "mental mistake". If a fielder fails to [[Tag out|tag]] the runner, batter, or a base in a [[Force play|force]] situation in time to record an out when he could have done so, that fielder is charged with an error.<ref name="bbskE" />

The most common judgment call involving an error occurs when the defense fails to put out a batter-runner who puts the ball in play. If the out is not recorded and the official scorer believes that an "ordinary effort" by the defense would have resulted in an out, the defense is charged with an error, and the batter is not credited with a hit. Other common situations requiring a judgment call include unintentionally dropped [[foul ball]]s that allow the batter to continue his at-bat, and poor throws to the next base when a runner attempts to advance.<ref name="bbskE" />

One of the most controversial and poorly understood situations related to the charging of an error occurs when an [[outfielder]] misjudges the flight of a ball and allows the ball to drop out of his reach. This is usually considered to be a "mental mistake" by the outfielder, so the batter is usually credited with a hit.<ref name="bbskE" /> On that topic Bill Shannon, who was an official scorer for the [[New York Yankees]], said "That's a base hit whether we like it or not. As a practical matter, we don't charge errors on those plays. No one says that baseball is entirely fair."<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |title=Errors Committed and Omitted |first=Jim |last=Luttrell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/sports/baseball/21spotlight.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 20, 2009 |access-date=October 29, 2010}}</ref> Outfielders are generally charged with an error on a [[Batted ball|fly ball]] when they arrive at the ball's destination with sufficient time to make a catch with an ordinary effort, but simply miss the catch or drop the ball.<ref name="bbskE" />