In baseball, fielder's choice (abbreviated FC) refers to a variety of plays involving an offensive player reaching a base due to the defense's attempt to put out another baserunner, or the defensive team's indifference to his advance. Fielder's choice is not called by the umpires on the field of play; rather, it is recorded by the official scorer to account for the offensive player's advance without crediting him with an offensive statistic such as a hit or stolen base.
Though there are several definitions of fielder's choice, the most common (and the only one commonly referred to as FC) involves a fielder fielding a fair ball and choosing to try to put out another baserunner, thereby allowing the batter-runner to safely reach first base. This could be because the defensive player believes they do not have a reasonable prospect of preventing the batter-runner from reaching first base safely, but is usually because it is typically more beneficial for the defensive team to prevent another baserunner from advancing closer to home plate or scoring a run. If another runner is retired on a force out, the batter will not be rewarded with a hit and will be scored a fielder's choice (FC). Other plays that fall under the definition of FC are usually referred to using other terms such as "defensive indifference" or "on the throw."
