SPORTS WRITING

Campus Journalism
Sports writing/write-up is
Action
News Item
Descriptive
Raving
Entertaining
Walk of Life
A good sports writer must have…
 interest in all sports events
 know the rules and regulations of the event
or game he is writing about
 have a working knowledge of the language
and jargon of sports writing usually
referred to as sports lingo
Qualities of a Good Sports Writer
1. Must know sports; rules, strategy,
team and players' records.
2. Must attend the games or meets as a
reporter, not as a spectator or
cheerer.
Qualities of a Good Sports Writer
3. Must know coaches and players as
intimately as possible.
4. Must observe accuracy.
5. Must be able to take notes quickly
without losing the sequence of the play.
Qualities of a Good Sports Writer
6. Must be fair and unbiased in reporting
event, although he has a favorite team.
7. Must not make comments without
supporting them with facts on which they
are based, although sports writers have
more freedom than any other news writers.
Qualities of a Good Sports Writer
8. Must use the specialized language of the
particular sports that he is reporting.
9. Must avoid sports slang and trite expressions
which hack writers use today. He should tell the
story in plain factual terms that describe the action.
10. Must bear in mind that he writes for his readers
and not for himself.
Structure of the
Sports Story
 The Sports Coverage
HEADLINE/TITLE
It is summaries of the news. They must be
short and accurate. In sports, headlines are also
lively grabbers of a reader's attention.
 The Sports Coverage
LEAD
- One sentence paragraph.
- Attention-getter
- News in a nutshell.
- Score-oriented
 The Sports Coverage
BODY
It contains the play-by-play account of the
game like the most crucial part of the game, star
player and etc.
 The Sports Coverage
CONCLUSION
It contains the quotes from players and
coaches, statistics and team standing.
 How to write a sports
headline/title?
• Who won
• Against whom
• Relevant verb
• Score
• Significance of the game
• Hero
• 1 to 10 words is preferred
• Present form the verb
 Example :
SIMPLE:
 Eagles namayagpag kontra Archers sa
Exhibition Game, 3-0
 Cool Smashers spikes Akari Chargers
down in Exhibition Game
 Example :
ADVANCE:
 Dragons breathes fire into
playoff hopes after escaping
Archers, 97-92
 Ravena pumukol ng 40-pts:
Lions, bugbog-sarado sa Bulldogs
How to write sports lead?
• The Classic W’s should be in the lead
• Who won?
• Against whom?
• By what score?
• What is the significance of the game?
• Where?
• When?
• What game?
 Example :
Natudla ng La Salle, defending
champion, ang ikaanim na panalo sa
pamamagitan ng 74-67 tagumpay sa
Adamson kahapon sa 65th University
Athletic Association of the Philippines
(UAAP) basketball tournament sa
Makati Coliseum.
 Example :
Towering Lloyd Vincent Bautista of
Mangaldan National High School fired a
hair-raising three-point shot in the last 2.8
dying seconds to edge Dagupan City
National High School, 87-85 in an
exhibition game at jam packed
Dagupan City Peoples Astrodome,
yesterday.
 FORMS OF
SPORTS LEAD
 THE KEY PLAY
This is usually used when
the best angle of the sports
event through the collective
effort of all the members of the
winning team.
 Example :
The Senior Sluggers bombed the
Junior Batters with six runs in the third
inning to subdue a nerve-wrecking junior
rally during the Solsona National High
School Intrams, August 26.
 Example :
Magkasangga ang mga nagbabagang
ispayk ng mga Green Archers upang
padapain ang Blue Marlins, 3-0 (25-
19, 25-16, 25-20) sa ginanap na
Volleyball Championship game sa Rizal
Memorial Stadium, kagabi.
THE OUTSTANDING PLAYER
When one or two members of
the team seem to stand out the
rest of the players that caused
the team to win the game. Their
heroic deed is the best angle to
start a sport news.
 Example :
Nate Robinson hit a three-pointer at
the buzzer, leading the New York
Knicks to a 105-102 overtime win
over the Philadelphia 76ers in
the National Basketball Association
play at Madison Square Garden,
Sunday.
 Example :
Muling pinatunayan ni Abarrientos
ng Alaska Acers ang kanyang husay
sa three-point field goal
pagkatapos maipasok ang 3-point
shot sa huling limang segundo
upang masungkit ang korona mula sa
Ginebra, 103-101.
ANALYTICAL APPROACH
This is used when the
team employs a very
spectacular strategy or action
that brings them to victory.
 Example :
Banking on sturdy wallops, deadly
spikes and tricky placings, Ilocos Sur
National High School Netters dethroned
Candon City National High School in the
crucial third set of their volleyball
championship game, 3-0 (25-22, 25-21,25-
23) in the Division Athletic Association Meet
at Vigan City, December 9.
 Example :
Isang mapanlinlang na bunt ang
pinakawalan ni Andy Petit upang
magtala ang New York Yankees ng 3
runs at lasapin ang kampeonato
laban sa Detroit Tigers sa ginanap
na World Baseball Tournament sa
Lost Angeles, California, kahapon.
CLASSIC/SUMMARY LEAD
1) Who won (2)
against whom (3) by
what score (4) where
and (5) when.
 Example :
1) The Rizal 1) The Rizal
National High School National High School
basketball team won Quintet subdued (2)
against (2) Llanera Llanera High School
High School’s with Dribblers, (3) 87-53,
the score of (3) 87-53 at the (4) opponent’s
at the (4) LNHS ground (5) yesterday
ground (5) yesterday afternoon.
afternoon.
THE BODY
 TEAM AND/OR INDIVIDUAL
STANDING
If the event is part of a
series of games, the story must
report how the teams or players
stand in relation to their
competitors.
 DECISIVE PLAY
This is the most crucial part
of the game that gives a certain
team the winning margin.
BEST SCORES FOR THE DAY
The scores usually appear in the
headline and in the lead. However, the
writer must not neglect the top scorer of
the day.
 PLAY-BY-PLAY
Due to limited space, play-by-play has
to be condensed. In top boxing events, a
separate round-by-round account is
provided, describing the progress of the
fight in detail.
 QUOTATION
It is customary for the hero
of the day to have his
sentiments recorded for
posterity.
OTHER THINGS
TO CONSIDER
 The Score or Outcome
Who won? What is the result
of the game?
 The Significance of the
Outcome
Was a champion at
stake? Do the standings of
the teams change? Who gets
the cup? Is the grudge wiped
out?(Championship, do or die,
elimination)
Highlights of the Game
Find the turning point of
the game. Describe spectacular
plays. Tell about the last minutes
fumble, or last three second
basket from midcourt if it were a
basketball game. (Key plays,
baskets, run and time executed).
Comparison of the Teams
Which was the better team?
Was the defending champion
out-jumped on the rebound?
Who did better from the foul
line?(Mother school, the height,
age)
 Individual Stats
Refers to the heroes of the
game. (Name, age, height,
weapon, strategy)
 Weather Condition
Mud, sunshine, heat cold, or
wind may have bearing on the
game.
Crowd and celebration
How did the spectators
behave? Were they
particularly hostile to the
referee?
 BASIC RULES IN
WRITING SPORTS STORY
1. Know the rules of the game.
2. Use special vocabulary (Sports terms
or Sports Lingo)
3. Get all your facts
4. Jot down an outline
5. Make a good lead
6. Use punchy verb or strong verbs
7. Get quotations from players, coach,
officials and spectators
8. Include key plays (best players)
9. Revise or edit your sports stories
 DYNAMIC AND
PUNCHY VERBS
Win by Margin/ Nagwagi ng
malaking Kalamangan
Win by Small Margin/ Nagwagi
ng maliit na Pagitan
Defeat a Champion/ Nanalo at
inagaw ang Kampeonato
Remain the title/ Napanatili ang
Kampeonato
Give an opponent a zero score