Discussion on Sports News Writing

2. LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING PICTURES THAT
SHOW THE PLACE WHERE THE SPORTS ARE
USUALLY PLAYED.
APPROVE TAG = CORRECT PHOTO
REMOVE TAG = INCORRECT PHOTO
PICTURE
PICTURE

3. BASKETBALL COURT

4. BOXING RING

5. VOLLEYBALL FIELD

6. BASEBALL COURT

7. CHESS BOARD

8. TABLE TENNIS COURT

9. SPORTS WRITING
Sports writing is a specialized field of writing which
combines news reporting, editorial writing, and
feature writing, the content of which is sports and
athletics, and physical education.

10. SPORTS WRITER
A sports writer is one of the talented, versatile, and
expert members of the staff. He has a keen interest
in all forms of sports and athletics, although he is
not usually an outstanding athlete himself.
He writes sports stories and articles.

11. STRAIGHT NEWS REPORTING
VS. SPORTS WRITING
STRAIGHT NEWS REPORTING
• In news writing, the journalist
uses short words, short
sentences, short paragraphs.
• A news reporter is not permitted
to write his opinion about
persons or events.
• The sports writer has more
freedom in his writing style than
the news reporter.
• The sports writer can do this to
a certain extent. He can even
use jargons which is discouraged
in the news page.
SPORTS WRITING

12. 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.
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.

13. QUALITIES OF A
GOOD SPORTS WRITER
6. Must be fair and unbiased in reporting, even though 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.
8. Must use 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 the reader not for himself.

14. GUIDELINES FOR
SPORTS WRITING
1. Take down notes. Don’t trust your memory.
2. Report the reaction of the spectators at some point of the
game. But this is secondary.
3. Don’t devote the entire sports section to just one game or
just one sports.
4. Read a lot. Learn how other sports writers practice their
craft.

15. STRUCTURE OF THE
SPORTS STORY
THE HEADLINE. The rules in headline writing are
followed. Colorful but forceful words, especially verbs
are used. Usually the scores appear in the headline
because the reader wants to know right away who won,
against whom, and by what score.

19. STRUCTURE OF THE
SPORTS STORY
THE LEAD. It introduces the body and summarizes the
story.
• The Classic 5 W’s Lead. It answers right away the
questions (a) Who won?, (b) Against whom?, (c) By
what score?, (d), Where, and (e) Why?

20. Carlos Yulo, humablot pa ng 2 gold
medals sa Qatar Asian Championships
Dalawa pang gold medals ang naibulsa ni (a) Carlos
Yulo sa (d) 9th Senior Artistic Gymnastics Asian
Championships sa Doha, Qatar nitong Sabado.

21. Toyota stops Crispa, 97 to 94
20-game sweep goes pffft; Acuna fired midway in game
(a) Toyota sprang back to life at the cost of firing its
coach in the middle of the game last night and robbed
(b) Crispa of a monumental 20-game sweep with a
stunning (c) 97-94 victory that extended the All-Filipino
championship series at the Araneta Coliseum.

22. STRUCTURE OF THE
SPORTS STORY
•The Key Play Lead. Which part of the game was most
exciting, most significant, and crucial, i.e., gave the
winning team the upper score?

23. The Region IV sluggers bombed the NCR batters with six runs in the
third inning to subdue a nerve-frazzling NCR rally 14-12 as they
clinched the championship game during the Palaro held at the
Montano Stadium, Cavite City.
ISINARA ni Manny Pacquiao ang kanyang makulay na boxing career sa
pagtala ng unanimous decision win laban sa Amerikanong
boksingerong si Timothy Bradley Jr. sa kanilang WBO welterweight
title fight sa MGM Grand Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Panalo si
Pacquiao, 116-110 sa scorecard ng tatlong judges.

24. STRUCTURE OF THE
SPORTS STORY
•The Outstanding Player Lead. This is sometimes called
the Hero of the Game Lead.

25. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz made history Monday becoming the first
athlete from the Philippines to win gold at the Olympics.
Nanaig ang kamao ni Manny Pacquiao sa laban nila ni Keith Thurman
nitong Linggo (Manila time) sa Las Vegas, Nevada sa Amerika.

26. STRUCTURE OF THE
SPORTS STORY
•The Analytical Approach Lead. Analyzes the outcome of
the game. What particular ability does the winning team
have that gave it a winning score?

27. Pumped-up Purefoods played solid defense to frustrate Diet Sarsi 115-
105 last night and arranged a winner- take-all contest on Sunday for
the PBA All-Filipino Conference crown at the ULTRA.
Knock-out win ang unang sabak sa semi-amateur boxing ng anak ni
Manny Pacquiao na si Jimuel. Inspirado tuloy si Jimuel na pagbutihin
pa ang pagsasanay.

28. STRUCTURE OF THE
SPORTS STORY
THE BODY. After the lead, the other elements in
descending order follow.
• Team and / or Individual Standing
• Decisive plays
• Best score of the day
• Play-by-play account
• Quotation

29. STRUCTURE OF THE
SPORTS STORY
Eight elements that make up a good sports story (Jose Luna Castro, Manila
Times)
1. Personalities
2. Play-by-play description
3. Statistics
4. Quotes by players
5. Quotes by trainers and coaches
6. Background stuff on players
7. The importance and significance of the game or event
8. The background of the game

30. SUGGESTED POINTERS
1. The score or outcome
2. The significance of the outcome
3. Highlight of the game
4. Comparison of the team
5. Individual stars
6. Weather condition
7. Crowd and celebration

31. IDENTIFY THE SPORTS IN WHICH THE
FOLLOWING TERMS MAY BE USED
1. Rebound
2. Uppercut
3. Strike three
4. Checkmate
5. Par
6. Technical Knockout
7. Deuce
8. Breast stroke
9. Net ball
10. Change court

32. IDENTIFY THE SPORTS IN WHICH THE
FOLLOWING TERMS MAY BE USED
1. Rebound - Basketball
2. Uppercut - Boxing
3. Strike three – Baseball
4. Checkmate – Chess
5. Par – Golf
6. Technical Knockout – Boxing
7. Deuce – Tennis
8. Breast stroke – Swimming
9. Net ball – Volleyball
10. Change court - Volleyball

33. SPORTS LINGO (SLANGUAGE) AND
CLUTCHES
• Field. hurled the javelin, threw the discus, high or long jump, pole vault,
Grecian disc
• Tennis. best of three matches, surfeit services, straight set, smash cut, deuce
• Swimming. breast stroke, back stroke, freestyle, aqua belle
• Soccer or football. goalie, corner kick, centrada, free kick, penalty kick
• Sipa. fancy kick, dead ball, single, double
• Track. dashes, runs, relay, hurdles, long-distance runner, clock a new record

34. SPORTS LINGO (SLANGUAGE) AND
CLUTCHES
• Basketball. five, quintet, pivot, rally, rebound, technical foul, lay-up, zone
defense, foul ball, slam dunk
• Baseball and softball. diamond, fly a homerun, hit a homerun, umpire, pitcher,
strike
CLUTCHES
• Basketball. FG (field goal), FT (free throw), JS (jumpshot), DI (drive-in), LU (lay-
up)
• Soccer or football. ab (at bat), rbi (run or runs batted in), e (error)
• Volleyball. p (placing), s (spiker), bb (block ball), cp (change of phase)

35. SPORTS LINGO (SLANGUAGE) AND
CLUTCHES
•Inilampaso, Pinakain ng alikabok, Dinurog, Pinulbos,
Pinabagsak, Nangibabaw, Ibinida, Papadyak,
Nagpapakatatag, Pinana, Walang bala, Pinabagsak,
Nilamon, Ibinida, Pinatumba, Dumaan sa butas ng
karayom, Nagmano-mano, Tatakbo, Hanggang sa
Huling Upuan

36. THREE TYPES OF
SPORTS STORIES
•The Advance Story. It builds up enthusiasm for coming
events.
• Straight news story
• Background story
• Prediction story

37. THREE TYPES OF
SPORTS STORIES
•The Coverage Story. It is an on-the-spot coverage of an
actual game.

38. Summary lead – names of the teams and when and
where of the event, the score or outcome, the
significance, the spectacular plays, comparison of the
teams, weather conditions, and the crowd and
celebrations.
Body: explain the why and how the
game or meet was won, what system
of play or strategy was used, and
what probable effects will result.
Base all
comments
upon facts

39. THREE TYPES OF
SPORTS STORIES
•The Advance-Coverage Story. This kind of story includes
the information on a coming event as first part of the
story and the information on the past event as the last
part of the story.

41. WRITING ACTIVITY
Write a sports news story based on the
following facts you have gathered on
a recent sports event that you
have watched or witnessed.

42. REFERENCES
Cruz, J.B. (1997). Advanced Campus Journalism for
Fourth Year, 1st. ed. Rex Book Store.
Cruz, J.B. (1997). Campus Journalism and School
Paper Advising, 4th. ed. Rex Book Store.