Your Batting Order: Who Is Up and On Deck
How the lineup rotates, what on deck and in the hole mean, and continuous batting order
The batting order sets who hits and in what order. Tracking the current hitter, who is on deck, and who is in the hole keeps your dugout moving and your players ready.
Get the order right and the game flows. Get it wrong and you risk batting out of order, which carries a penalty.
How the order works
Hitters bat in a fixed rotation. After the last batter in the order hits, it wraps back around to the leadoff hitter. The order does not reset between innings. If the third hitter made the last out of the first inning, the fourth hitter leads off the second.
On deck and in the hole
- •At bat: the hitter currently in the batter’s box.
- •On deck: the next hitter, warming up in the on-deck circle.
- •In the hole: the hitter after the on-deck batter.
Continuous batting order
Many youth and recreational leagues use a continuous batting order, where every player on the roster bats in a fixed rotation regardless of who is playing defense. This keeps every kid involved and simplifies substitutions, since a defensive change does not affect the batting order.
Substitutions and batting out of order
When a substitute enters, they normally take the batting slot of the player they replaced. Batting out of order means a player hits when it was not their turn. The defense can appeal it, and the proper batter is called out, so keeping the order visible prevents a costly mistake.
Tracking the batting order on the Dugout Edge Game Day board
The board highlights who is up so the dugout always knows who is next.
- 1
Set your lineup before first pitch.
- 2
The board highlights the current hitter and shows who is on deck.
- 3
After each at-bat, the board advances to the next hitter automatically and wraps around at the bottom of the order.
- 4
When you make a substitution, drop the new player into the slot they are replacing.
Softball
Batting order rules are the same in softball, and continuous batting order is especially common in youth fastpitch and slowpitch.
Track your game for free
The Dugout Edge Game Day board keeps the score, outs, runners, pitch count, and batting order in one place. No account needed, and it works right in your browser.
Open the free scorekeeperFrequently asked questions
What does on deck mean?
The on-deck batter is the player who hits next. They warm up in the on-deck circle while the current batter is up.
What does in the hole mean?
In the hole is the hitter who follows the on-deck batter, in other words two hitters away from being at bat.
Can you change the batting order during a game?
You cannot rearrange the order, but you can substitute a player into an existing slot. The substitute bats in the spot of the player they replaced.
What happens if a player bats out of order?
If the defense appeals before the next pitch, the proper batter is declared out and any advances from the improper at-bat are nullified. If no one appeals, the result stands.
Keep learning
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