softball- fielders choice

Question
what is a fielders choice? I hear people say stuff like "it's a fielders choice" but i dont know what that is!

Answer
A fielder's choice is scored when a cleanly played hit would have put the batter out at first, but the fielder chooses to make a play on another runner.  There is no requirement the runner the fielder chose to make a play on is out, just the choice not to retire the batter and put another runner out makes the play a fielder's choice.

A fielder's choice for stat. purposes is scored as an at bat, but not a hit, causing a batting average to go down.