Scoring
Section 10 of the official rules states that an at bat is not counted when the player:
- hits a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly
- is awarded first base on four called balls
- is hit by a pitched ball
- is awarded first base because of interference or obstruction
The main use of the plate appearance statistic is in determining a player's eligibility for leadership in some offensive statistical categories, notably batting average; currently, a player must have 3.1 PAs per game scheduled to qualify for the batting title (for the 162-game schedule, that means 502 PAs). Also, it is often erroneously cited that total plate appearances is the divisor (i.e., denominator) used in calculating on base percentage (OBP), an alternative measurement of a player's offensive performance; in reality, the OBP denominator does not include certain PAs, such as times reached via either catcher’s interference or fielder’s obstruction or Sacrifice Hits (Sacrifice Flies are included).
Plate appearances are also used by scorers for "proving" a box score. If the game has been scored correctly, the total number of plate appearances for a team should equal the total of that team's runs, men left on base, and men put out.
Read more about this topic: Plate Appearance