Two identical lineup cards on one Letter page: one for your dugout, one for the umpire or opposing coach. Print the blank PDF, or type the lineup into the maker below and print a filled-in card straight from your phone.
Batting order rows 1 to 12 with jersey number, player name and position: enough for a nine-player lineup plus DH and extra hitters, or a twelve-player continuous batting order.
A six-row substitutes block for the bench.
Starting pitcher and catcher lines, and a coach signature line.
Two copies per page with a cut line, so both dugouts leave with the same card.
Who gets a copy?
Before the game, the plate umpire usually asks each head coach for a lineup. In most youth leagues the opposing coach gets one too, and the scorekeeper works from a third. Print one sheet and cut it in half for the umpire and the opponent, then use the lineup maker below (or a second sheet) for your own dugout. Some leagues require lineups to be exchanged a set number of minutes before first pitch, so check your league's rules.
How to fill in a lineup card
Write the team name, opponent, date and game number.
List the batting order top to bottom: jersey number, the player's full name (no nicknames, the scorer has to match it) and position.
List anyone not starting under Substitutes, with their jersey number.
Name the starting pitcher and catcher.
Sign it. Once it's handed to the umpire the batting order is locked, and any change is a substitution.
Keep your copy in the dugout and note every substitution with the inning it happened.
Building a batting order for youth baseball
There's no single correct batting order, and at rec level most coaches rightly put playing time and confidence ahead of squeezing out an extra run. A few widely used principles still hold at every level:
Your best on-base hitters near the top. Batters 1 and 2 get the most plate appearances over a season. Put the players who reach base most consistently there; speed helps.
Best all-round hitter third, most power fourth. The classic structure: the third hitter is your most complete bat, and the cleanup hitter is the one most likely to drive runners in.
Alternate strengths through the middle. A contact hitter between two free-swingers stops innings ending on three quick outs.
Rotate the order across games. In youth ball, move players up and down so every kid gets a turn near the top and nobody is always ninth. The app shows who's due a move.
Continuous batting order. Many rec leagues require every player on the roster to bat in turn, regardless of who's fielding. If yours does, list all of them and use the substitutes block only for players arriving late or returning from injury.
Always follow your league's own rules on batting order, minimum playing time and re-entry. The advice here is general; the rulebook wins every time.
Defensive rotation tips
Plan the rotation before the game and write it on the back of the card by inning. Deciding on the fly is how kids get forgotten.
Rotate infield and outfield positions in blocks of two innings, so players settle before they move.
Keep pitchers and catchers inside your league's pitch-count and rest rules. Write the pitcher's inning-by-inning count on the edge of the card.
Track every player's innings at each position across the season. It's the record parents most often ask for and coaches most often can't produce; MyBallPlayer logs it game by game.
Using the lineup maker
Enter the team, opponent and date, then type the batting order and pick each position from the dropdown. Add rows for a continuous order or remove them for a nine-player lineup. Press Print lineup card and your browser prints two clean copies on one page; nothing else from this page prints. The lineup is saved in your browser, so next week you can reopen the page and swap a few names.
Prefer not to add it up by hand? MyBallPlayer is a baseball and softball scorekeeper app for parents: log each game in about a minute and every average is worked out for you, season after season, whichever team your player is on.
Frequently asked questions
How many players go on a baseball lineup card?
Nine starters in standard baseball, ten with a designated hitter, and up to the whole roster where a continuous batting order is used. This card has twelve batting rows plus six substitute rows.
Does the lineup card work for softball?
Yes. Softball lineups use the same format. Slow-pitch adds a tenth fielder, and many fastpitch leagues use a designated player (DP) and flex; write DP or FLEX in the position column.
Can I change the batting order after handing in the card?
No. Once the umpire has the card the order is set for the game. Players can be substituted, but the new player takes the spot in the order of the player they replace.
Is the lineup maker free?
Yes. It runs in your browser, saves to your device only and needs no account. To keep lineups and playing-time records across a season, use the app.
What's the difference between a DH and an EH?
A designated hitter (DH) bats in place of a defensive player, usually the pitcher. An extra hitter (EH) is a tenth or eleventh batter added to the order while every other player still fields, which is common in youth and travel ball.