Stylebook
A
AstroTurf (trademark)
artificial turf (generic)
Abbreviations Do not spell out
NFL, NBA, CART, USAC, NASCAR.
at-large (adj.), at large
(adv.)
ATV Use all-terrain vehicle, except in quotes.
Americas Cup (golf)
America’s Cup (yachting)
Athletic Director (n.) Uppercase in all references.
author (n.) Do not use as
verb. Use write instead.
awards Lowercase unless official name. He was named American League Most Valuable Player. He was the team’s most valuable player in the postseason.
AUTO RACING
American Racing Series ARS
on second reference or to avoid
awkward lede, but spell out later.
backstretch (n. or adj.)
black flag Signals that participants must go immediately to pits.
Champ Car in all references to the racing organization. Organization races champ cars.
checkered flag Signals end of
race.
drag race (n.), drag-race (adj.)
drag strip (n.), drag-strip
(adj.)
Formula One F-1 acceptable on
second reference.
frontstretch (n. or adj.)
funny car (n.), funny-car
(adj.) Refers to drag-racing classification.
Go Kart, go kart (n.), go-cart
(adj.)
Grand Prix, grand prix (n.)
green flag Signals start of race.
hairpin turn (n.)
International Hot Rod Association IHRA on second reference or to avoid awkward lede, but spell out later.
International Motor Contest
Association IMSA on second
reference or to avoid awkward
lede, but spell out later.
International Race of Champions IROC on second reference
or to avoid awkward lede, but
spell out later.
Indy Racing League IRL on
second reference or to avoid
awkward lede, but spell out later.
Organization races Indy cars.
lap Lap 2, Lap 9, Lap 20.
mini-trucks (n.), mini-truck
(adj.)
mph All references, but spell out
in quotes.
National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing NASCAR in all references.
National Championship Racing Association NCRA on second reference or to avoid awkward lede, but spell out later.
National Hot Rod Association NHRA on second reference
or to avoid awkward lede, but
spell out later.
pit stop (n.), pit-stop (adj.)
pro stock (n.), pro-stock (adj.)
Refers to drag-racing classification.
rpm All references, but spell out
in quotes. Never rpms.
race car (n.), race-car (adj.)
Sports Car Club of America
SCCA on second reference or to
avoid awkward lede, but spell
out later.
stock car (n.), stock-car (adj.)
superspeedway (n. or adj.)
Super Vee top fuel (n.), top-
fuel (adj.) Refers to drag-racing
classification.
Trans Am
turn Turn 2, Turn 3, Turn 4.
United Sprint Association
USA on second reference or to
avoid awkward lede, but spell
out later.
white flag Signals one lap remaining.
yellow flag Signals caution.
BB
backspin (n. or adj.)
backstroke (n. or adj.)
backup (n. or adj.), back up
(v.)
backward Not backwards.
back yard (n.), backyard
(adj.)
bench press (n.), bench-press
(v. or adj.)
best (n. or adj.) Do not use as
verb to mean beat, defeated, or
broke.
betting odds Use numerals and
hyphens. The odds were 5-4.
They were 5-to-4 odds.
bullfight (n.), bullfighter (n.),
bullfighting (n. or adj. or v.)
bull’s-eye (n.)
BASEBALL
American League AL on second reference.
at-bat (n. or adj.)
ballclub (n. or adj.)
ballgame (n. or adj.)
ballpark (n. or adj.). Preferred
over ball field.
ballplayer (n. or adj.)
backstop (n. or adj.)
base (n.) First base, second base,
third base. Note: He was the
first-base umpire.
base hit (n.)
baseline (n. or adj.)
baseman (n.) First baseman,
second baseman, third baseman.
basepath (n. or adj.)
base runner (n.), base running
(n. or adj.)
Basic Agreement
Baseball America magazine
Baseball Writers’ Association
of America
book-rule double (n.), not
ground-rule double unless it is a
ground rule
box score (n.), box-score (adj.)
batter’s box (n.)
bullpen (n. or adj.)
change-up (n. or adj.), change
up (v.)
checked swing (n.), checked-
swing (adj.)
closer (n.) Refers to relief pitcher usually brought into game to
preserve victory.
coach’s box (n.) He stood in the
third-base coach’s box.
Collegiate Baseball magazine
Collegiate Baseball/ESPN
poll
curveball (n. or adj.)
cut-off (adj.), cut off (v.)
designated hitter (n.) DH on
second reference, in quotes or in
headlines.
disabled list (n.) DL on second
reference, in quotes or in headlines.
divisions American League
East, Central, West; National
League East, Central, West. Can
abbreviate AL/NL East, Central,
West on second reference.
doubleheader (n. or adj.)
double play (n.), double-play
(adj.)
earned-run average (n.) ERA
on second reference.
fair ball (n.)
fastball (n.)
field (n.) Center field, right
field, left field. Note: Left-center
field, Left-center field fence.
fielder (n.) Center fielder; left
fielder; right fielder. Note: Do
not use right-fielder Juan Gonzalez.
flyout (n.), flied out (v.). Do
not use flew out.
force-out (n. or adj.) force out
(v.)
foul ball (n.)
foul line (n.)
foul pole (n.)
foul tip (n.) foul-tip (adj.) A
foul-tip strike three.
free agent (n. and if used like
position), free-agent (adj.) Free
agent Roger Clemens. Free-agent pitcher Roger Clemens.
free agency (n.)
General Manager Uppercase in all cases.
ground ball (n.), ground-ball
(adj.)
groundout (n.), ground out
(v.)
ground-rule double (n.)
grand slam (n.) Do not use
grand-slam home run.
hit-and-run (n. or adj.)
home plate (n.), home-plate
(adj.)
home run (n. or adj.) Homer acceptable on second reference.
Never home-run
homefield advantage
homestandB
hook slide (n.)
hot corner (n.) Refers to third
base on second reference. Use
judiciously.
Indians Cleveland Indians. Indians OK on all references. Tribe OK after Indians on first reference. Play at Jacobs Field.
infield fly (n.), infield-fly
(adj.)
knuckle curve (n.)
knuckleball (n. or adj.)
knuckler (n.)
leadoff (n. or adj.)
league championship series
Confine LCS to quotes. But on first reference it is American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series.
left-hander (n.), left-handed
(adj.)
line drive (n.), line-drive (adj.)
Little League (n.) Little Leaguer (n.)
manager lowercase in all cases.
major leagues (n.), major-leaguer (n.), major-league (adj.)
Major League Baseball Refers
only to the business organization.
Major League Baseball Players Association can use players association on second reference.
minor leagues (n.), minor-leaguer (n.), minor-league (adj.)
mph All references, but spell out
in quotes.
National League NL on second
reference.
offseason (n. or adj.)
out (n.) Use one out, two out,
three out. But: He got the last
three outs.
outfield (n. or adj.), outfielder
(n.)
passed ball (n.)
pennant (n. or adj.) Refers to
league championship or to division championship.
pinch hitter (n. or adj.), pinch-
hit (n. or adj.), pinch hit (v.) He
is pinch hitter Jason Kendall.
pinch runner (n.), pinch run
(v.)
pitching records Set off with
parentheses.
pitchout (n.)
playoffs American League
Championship Series, National
League Championship Series.
ALCS/NLCS on second reference. American League Division
Series, National League Division
Series. AL playoffs/NL playoffs
on second reference in generic
usages.
pop-up (n. or adj.), pop up (v.)
putout (n.), put out (v.)
rain out (n.), rain out (v.)
runs batted in RBI on all references. Never RBIs.
sacrifice (n. or adj.) Sacrifice
bunt, sacrifice fly. Do not abbreviate sac.
seventh-inning stretch (n.)
shoestring catch (n.)
shortstop (n. or adj.)
slugger (n.)
southpaw (n. or adj.) Confine
in quotes.
snow cone (n.), snow-cone
(adj.)
squeeze play (n.)
stopper (n.) Confine in quotes.
Use closer instead.
strikeout (n. or adj.), strike out
(v.)
strike zone (n.)
suicide squeeze (n.)
switch hitter (n.)
Texas leaguer Refers to a bloop
hit that drops between infielders
and outfielders.
triple play (n.), triple-play
(adj.)
twi-night doubleheader (n.)
unearned run (n.)
wild pitch (n.)
World Series Can use the Series
on second reference or in headlines.
BASKETBALL
backboard (n. or adj.)
backcourt (n. or adj.)
baseline (n. or adj.)
bucket Confine to quotes. Use
basket instead
buzzer-beater (n.), buzzer-beating (adj.)
Cavaliers Cleveland Cavaliers. Cavs OK on second reference. Cavs in tabular material and headlines. Play at Quicken Loans Arena.
coach lower case in all references except … He went to talk to Coach.
defenses use numbers … 1-2-2 zone. 1-3-1 matchup zone.
double-double, triple-double
(n.)
fastbreak (n. or adj.)
field goal (n.), field-goal (adj.)
Final Four Uppercase only for
NCAA Tournament. Lowercase
in other references.
follow-up (n. or adj.), follow
up (v.)
forecourt (n. or adj.)
foul line (n.)
foul shot (n.)
free throw (n.), free-throw
(adj.)
frontcourt (n. or adj.)
full court (n.), full-court (adj.)
goaltending (n. or adj.)
halfcourt (n. or adj.)
held ball (n.), held-ball (adj.)
high-five (n.) high-fived (v.)B
high post (n.), high-post (adj.)
homecourt advantage (n.)
inbounds (n. or adj.), inbound
(v.)
jump shot (n.), Can use jumper
on second reference.
Lady avoid use with nicknames for female teams. Just stick with the normal school nickname.
lay-in (n.)
layup (n.)
low post (n.), low-post (adj.)
man-to-man (n. or adj.) Refers
generically to type of defense.
Never woman-to-woman.
midcourt (n. or adj.)
NBA All references.
NBA Finals Use NBA playoffs
in generic references.
NCAA Tournament Comprises
East Regional, etc..
off guard (n. or adj.) Basketball
position
one-on-one (n. or adj.) Spell
out in all references.
They played a 3-2 zone.
outcoached (v.)
outrebounded (v.)
outscored (v.)
pick-and-roll (n.)
pivot man (n.) Better to use
center.
point guard (n.)
post-up (n) post up (v.)
power forward (n.)
quarters Do not use periods. He
scored in the second quarter. It
was a second-quarter play.
shoot-around (n.), shoot
around (v.)
shot-blocker (n.)
shot clock (n.), shotclock
(adj.) Shotclock violation.
sky hook (n.)
slam dunk Redundant. Dunk is
enough.
subregional Be as specific as
possible.
swing man (n.)
3-pointer, 3-point shot (adj.),
3-point shot, 3-point attempt.
three-point play (n.)
three-second violation (n.)
tip-off (n. or adj.), tip off (v.)
up court (n.), up-court (adj.)
women’s basketball Do not
use men’s basketball unless distinction is necessary.
BOXING
counterpunch (n. or v.)
International Boxing Federation IBF in all references.
kidney punch (n. or v.)
KO (n.), KOs (n.), KO’d, KO’s (v.)
Usually use on second reference
or in headlines.
knockout (n. or adj.), knock
out (v.) Preferred on first reference.
North American Boxing Federation NABF on second reference or to avoid awkward lede, but spelled out later.
outpointed (v.) Do not use outdecisioned.
rabbit punch (n. or v.)
standing eight-count (n.)
10-point-must system (n.)
TKO (n.), TKOs (n.), TKO’s, TKO’d
(v.) Usually use on second reference or in headlines
technical knockout Preferred
on first reference
weight class Junior flyweight
(WBA, IBF) 108-111; light flyweight (WBC) 108-111; flyweight
(WBA, WBC, IBF) 112-117; bantamweight (WBA, WBC, IBF)
118-121; junior featherweight
(WBA IBF)122-125; super bantamweight (WBC) 122-125; featherweight (WBA, WBC, IBF) 126-129; junior lightweight (WBA,
IBF) 130-134; super featherweight
(WBC) 130-134; lightweight
(WBA, WBC, IBF) 135-139; junior
welterweight (WBA, IBF) 140-
146; super lightweight (WBC)
140-146; welterweight (WBA,
WBC, IBF) 147-153; junior middleweight(WBA, IBF) 154-159;
super welterweight (WBC)154-
159; middleweight (WBA, WBC)
160-174 (IBC) 160-164; super
middleweight (UBF) 165-174;
light heavyweight (WBA, WBC,
IBF) 175-194; junior heavyweight
(WBA)195; cruiserweight (WBC,
IBF) 195; heavyweight (WBA,
WBC, IBF) more than 195.
World Boxing Association
WBA in all references.
World Boxing Council WBC
in all references.
CB
California Refers to main state
university on Berkeley, Calif. Cal
on second reference. But:
Cal-Irvine, Cal State-Fullerton for
branches.
Canal Park The Aeros’ ballpark.
carry-over (n. or v.), carry
over (v.)
cast Refers to gymnastics stunt
in which person thrusts away
from support point, usually on
parallel bars.
catch-up (n. or adj.), catch up
(v.)
catgut (n.) Refers to tough, thin
chord for tennis rackets derived
from dried animal intestines.
chukker (n.) Refers to one of six
polo-match periods lasting 7
minutes, 30 seconds.
claim Implies doubt as verb. Use
said instead.
Cleveland Browns Stadium Home to the Browns.
coach Lowercase in all cases except … He
went to talk to Coach.
college In headlines, preferable
to use college names, not nicknames. Never mix college names and nicknames in headlines.
collective bargaining agreement (n.)
compare to, compare with
Former accentuates similarities. Latter accentuates differences. He had 10 home runs, compared with 25 last season.
People compare his swing to that
of Ted Williams.
compulsory (n. or adj.) Refers
to required routine in gymnastics, diving, and skating.
conferences Spell out on first
reference for those in which conference is part of the acronym.
Atlantic Coast Conference,
Southeastern Conference. But:
Big Ten, Big East, Pacific 10. Use
acronym thereafter. ACC, SEC,
Pac-10.
contact Refers to physical
touching as verb. Do not use
contact by telephone. Use call instead.
contusion Use bruise instead.
counterattack (n. or v.)
cover-up (n. or adj.), cover up
(v.)
coxswain (n.) Refers to rowing
team’s pace-setter.
cross country (n. or adj.) Cross
country meet, cross country runner. Never use harriers.
DB
datelines We don't use datelines unless we go to the community to report the item, and we don't use Akron datelines for anything other than briefs. There is no prohibition on datelines within Summit County, so long as the reporter did in fact go to the datelined place to report the story. The first paragraph of stories with datelines should NOT be indented. Those without datelines should begin with a paragraph
mark.
dark horse (n.), dark-horse
(adj.)
date back Redundant. Instead:
The streak dates to last August.
death penalty (n.), death-penalty (adj.) The NCAA’s "death
penalty."
defeat (n.) Avoid using as noun.
Preferable to use loss.
deja vu (v.) Often overused. Refers to illusion that person previously has had an experience
that’s actually new.
deke (n. or v.) Short for decoy.
Use judiciously.
die-off (n.) die off (v.)
dimensions Use numerals to indicate depth, height, length and width. It was a 5-yard run. He
had a 7-foot putt.
distances Use numerals only for
10 and above. He ran for five
yards in the game. They drove
eight miles.
dove (n.), dived (v.) Former refers to a bird. Latter in the past
tense of verb to dive.
dressing room (n.), dressing-room (adj.)
dual meet (n.), dual-meet
(adj.)
EFB
eye (n.) Do not use instead of
verb to seek.
farther, further Former refers
to measurable distance. Latter
refers to degrees or to concepts.
fast-pitch softball (n.)
following Use after in most references
follow-up (n. or adj.), follow
up (v.)
forego, forgo (v.) Former
means to go before. Latter means to relinquish or to pass up.
Fox Sports Net Use full name
in copy. It is no longer Fox Sports Ohio.
freshman (n. or adj.) Never use
true freshman.
front office (n.), front-office
(adj.)
front-runner (n.), front-running (adj.)
FOOTBALL
3-4 defense, Cover-2 defense use numerals for defenses.
backfield (n. or adj.)
ball carrier (n.)
Browns Cleveland Browns. Browns OK on all references. Play at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
cap cut (n.), cap-cut (adj.) Refers to cutting high-paid veteran based on contract size, not
playing ability. Team will do this
to develop younger talent that
might fit better under the salary
cap.
cornerback (n. or adj.)
downs First down, second
down, third down, fourth down.
He scored on second down. It
was a second-down play.
down and distance Use hyphens and numerals. Third-and-4, second-and-12.
end line (n.), end-line (adj.)
end zone (n.), end-zone (adj.)
extra-point attempt (n.) Never point-after attempt. PAT acceptable in charts or tabular material.
fair catch (n.), fair-catch (adj.)
He made a fair-catch signal.
field goal (n.), field-goal (adj.)
He missed three field-goal attempts.
franchise player (n.), franchise-player (adj.) Designation
for player that gives team right
to match any offer or to receive
compensation of two first-round
draft picks. Players must be offered minimum of average of
five highest-paid players at position.
fullback (n. or adj.)
giveaway, giveaways (n.)
goal line (n.), goal-line (adj.)
goal post (n.)
halfback (n. or adj.)
handoff (n.), hand off (v.)
I formation (n.)
injured reserve list (n.) Confine IR to quotes or headlines.
injuries They are sustained, not
suffered or received.
interception (n.) Do not use intercepted as verb reffering to
person. Not: He intercepted Elway four times. Instead: He intercepted four Elway passes or Elway threw four interceptions.
kicker (n.), kick (v.)
kickoff (n. or adj.), kick off (v.)
left guard (n.), left-guard
(adj.) Also: He’s a right guard.
The right-guard position.
linebacker (n. or adj.), linebacking (adj.)
lineman (n.)
line of scrimmage (n.)
NFL All references.
NFL Players’ Association
NFLPA on second reference.
nose guard (n.), nose-guard
(adj.)
offside (n. or adj.)
onside (n. or adj.)
placekicker (n.), placekicking (adj.), place kick (v.)
quarters Do not use periods. He
scored in the second quarter. It
was a second-quarter touchdown.
quarterback (n.) Do not use as
verb. He’s the quarterback. Not:
He quarterbacks the team.
run-and-shoot (n. or adj.)
runback (n.), running-back
(adj.)
signal caller (n.) Use judiciously after first reference for quarterback.
split end (n.), split-end (adj.)
strong side (n.), strong-side
(adj.) Also: They ran to the weak
side. He is the weak-side linebacker.
tailback (n. or adj.)
takeaway, takeaways (n.)
tight end (n.), tight-end (adj.)
touchdown (n. or adj.) Never
TD or TDs, except in headlines,
charts, or tabular material.
transitional player (n.), transitional-player (adj.) Designation for player who may seek offers from other teams, but
designating team can match any
offers. Player must receive contract of the average of 10 highest-players at position.
two-minute warning (n.)
2-point conversion (n.)
wide receiver (n.), wide-receiver (adj.)
wideout (n. or adj.) avoid
wing T (n. or adj.) Also: Delaware Wing-T
yard lines In most references,
use team and numeral. They
moved to the Steelers 35. Also:
The ball was downed at the 5-
yard line.
GB
game Use score when referring
to the score. His basket tied the score 52-52.
game-breaker (n.). game-breaking (adj.)
game plan (n.)
game-winner (n.), game-winning (adj.)
grade-point average (n.) GPA
is acceptable on second reference or in headlines.
groundskeeper (n.), groundskeeping (adj.)
gutter ball (n.)
GOLF
backswing (n.)
back nine (n.), back-nine (adj.)
bogey (n. or adj. or v.)
birdie (n. or adj. or v.)
bunker (n. or adj.)
caddie (n. or v.), caddying (n.)
Champions Tour Use the senior tour on second reference.
club ratings Use numerals with
hyphens. 5-iron, 3-wood.
divot (n. or adj.)
double bogey (n.), double-bogey (adj. or v.)
eagle (n. or adj. or v.)
fairway (n. or adj.)
Firestone Country Club (n.)
Finchem, Tim PGA Tour commissioner.
fringe (n. or adj.)
greenskeeper (n.)
greenside (adj.) Greenside
bunker.
handicaps Use Numerals. He
has a 7 handicap. He’s a 7-handicap golfer.
hole Use figures for 10 and
above. Ninth hole, second hole,
12th hole.
hole-in-one (n. or adj.), holes-
in-one (n.)
LPGA All references
LPGA Tour Use the tour on
second reference.
leaderboard (n. or adj.)
Masters Tournament Use the
Masters on second reference or
in headlines.
par (n., adj. or v.)
par listings Use numerals. Par
5, par 4, par-5 hole. First reference: He shot 3-under-par 67. Second reference: He shot a 3-under 67. Also: He finished 4 under par. He finished 4 under.
PGA All references.
PGA Tour Use the tour on second reference.
putt (n. or v.)
putter (n.)
sand trap (n.), sand-trap (adj.)
shotmaker (n.), shotmaking
(adj.)
strokes Use Numerals.
TPC All references for Tournament Players Club. They played
on the TPC of Scottsdale course.
U.S. Open
U.S. Golf Association Use USGA on second reference.
B
HIJKLB
halftime (n. or adj.)
Hall of Fame No hyphens. Hall
of Famer Wilt Chamberlain. He’s
a Hall of Fame center.
hanged, hung (v.) People are
hanged. Pictures are hung.
hang five Refers to riding a surf
board with weight forward and
toes of one foot curled over end
of board.
hang 10 Refers to riding a surf
board with weight forwards and
toes of two feet over end of
board.
Harley-Davidson
headfirst (adj.) Headfirst slide.
He dived in headfirst.
heights Spell out on first reference. He’s 6-foot-5 forward Mike Jordan. Thereafter: He’s 6-5 forward Paul Pierce.
high-five (n. or v.)
high jump (n.), high-jump
(adj.)
home stretch (n.), home-
stretch (adj.)
homecourt advantage (n.)
homefield advantage (n.)homestead (n.)
hopefully Never use to mean I
hope that something happens, except in quotes. Better to recast
sentence.
host (n.) Do not use as verb. Instead: They will play host to the
Cavaliers.
HOCKEY
Blackhawks Never Hawks.
backcheck (n. or v.)
blue line (n.), blue-line (adj.)
cross check (n.), cross checking (n.), cross-checking (adj.),
cross-check (v.)
defenseman (n.)
faceoff (n. or adj.), face off (v.)
forecheck (n. or adj. or v.)
goal crease (n.)
goal light (n.)
goals-against average (n.)
GAA acceptable in charts and
tabular material.
goaltender (n.), goaltending
(adj.) Goalie acceptable on second reference.
glove save (n.)
hat trick (n.)
high stick (n.), high sticking
(n.), high-sticking (adj.)
hip check (n.), hip-check (v.)
icing (n.)
kick save (n.)
man advantage Be specific.
One-man advantage, two-man
advantage.
Maple Leafs Leafs acceptable
on second reference or in headlines, but use judiciously.
New York Islanders Isles acceptable on second reference or in headlines, but use judiciously.
NHL All references.
penalty killer (n.), penalty-killing (adj.)
poke check (n.), poke-check
(v.). Avoid using. Can confuse
readers.
power play (n.), power-play
(adj.) Avoid overusing, as in
They had five power-play chances. Instead: They missed on five power plays.
red line (n.), red-line (adj.)
slap shot (n.)
short-handed (adj.)
side boards (n.)
two-line offside (n.)
Red Wings Wings acceptable
on second reference or in headlines, but use judiciously.
Stanley Cup Refers to the trophy or to the championship, not
the playoffs in general. Use Stanley Cup playoffs or Stanley Cup Finals.
wing (n.), winger (adj.) He
plays left wing. He is left winger
Jaromir Jagr.
HORSE RACING
American Quarter Horse Association
bit (n.) Refers to the metal
mouthpiece of a horse’s bridle
bridle (n.) Refers to the harness
that fits over the horse’s head.
broodmare (n.) Refers to female horse used for breeding.
bug boy (n.) Refers to apprentice jockey. Apprentice mounts
get five-pound weight allowance.
colt (n.) Refers to male horse
between ages 2 and 5.
dark-horse entry (n.) Refers to
two or more horses of same
owner that run as single betting
interest.
filly (n.) Refers to female horse
between ages 2 and 5.
furlong (n.) One-eight of mile.
Race distances are in furlongs
through seven, then in miles.
gelding (n.) Refers to castrated
male horse.
half-mile pole (n.)
horse (n.) Refers to male horse
older than 5 years.
local tracks The Meadows
(harness racing); Meadow Lands
Mountaineer Park in Chester,
W.Va.
mare (n.) Refers to female horse
older that 5 years.
mutuel field (n.) Refers to two
or more long-shot horses with
different owners/trainers that
are coupled as single betting interest to give field no more than
12 betting interests.
off-track betting (n.) OTB on
second reference. Off-track betting parlor.
pari-mutuel
quarterhorse
stallion (n.) Refers to male
horse used for breeding.
U.S. Trotting Association
Intercollegiate Association of
Amateur Athletes of America
IC4A on second reference or in
headlines.
irregardless Use regardless instead.
Jacobs Field home ot the Indians.
junior college (n.), junior-college (adj.)
junior varsity (n.), junior-varsity (adj.) Never JV or jayvee.
Kansas City Confine KC to
quotes. If needed in headlines,
use K.C.
Kentucky Derby
Kent State KSU is acceptable on second reference. Never use Kent. Dateline is KENT Nickname is Golden Flashes. They play football at Dix Stadium. They play basketball at the M.A.C. Center.
kid Do not use to refer to children, except in quotes.
kilometer Spell out on first reference, except in running stories.
laceration Use cut instead.
lacrosse Scoring goals worth
one point each. Playing field is
110 yards long. Goals are 80 yards
apart, with 15 yards of playing
area behind goals. Match consists of four 15-minute periods.
Overtime breaks ties.
Lady avoid use with nicknames for female teams. Just stick with the normal school nickname.
last Avoid using as a synonym
for latest if it might imply finality. Use past instead. The Pirates
have won their past four games.
Also, don’t use to convey notion
of time when most recent
month/day is used. It happened
Monday.
letter of intent, letters of
intent (n.)
locker room (n.), locker-room
(adj.)
long shot (n.), long-shot (adj.)
long term (n.), long-term
(adj.)
longtime (adj.)
Los Angeles Confine L.A. to
quotes. If needed in headlines,
use L.A.
MNOPB
MAC Mid-American Conference on first reference.
M.A.C. Center home to Kent State basketball and other sports.
manager Lowercase in all references.
mascot All nicknames considered to be plural except Tribe.
Also, never make plural into singular version to refer to one
member of a team. He’s a Penguins player. Not: He’s a Penguin.
matchup (n. or adj.)
match play (n.), match-play
(adj.)
may, might Former implies permission. Latter refers to possibility of happening.
minicamp (n. or adj.)
most valuable player (n.),
most-valuable-player (adj.)
Uppercase when referring to
specific award. Lowercase in generic references. He was named American League Most Valuable Player. MVP on second reference or in headlines.
multimillion (adj.)
multiyear (adj.)
Murphy’s Law Use judiciously.
It has become a cliché.
NCAA All references. Use Roman numerals and capital letters
for divisions. NCAA Division I-
AA, Division II.
national anthem Lowercase
unless using The Star Spangled
Banner.
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics NAIA
in all references.
New York Confine NY to
quotes. If needed in headlines,
use N.Y.
news conference (n.) Do not
use press conference.
nonconference (adj.)
nonleague (adj.)
nonselection (adj.)
No. Use numerals to indicate
position or rank. The No. 1 draft
pick. No. 17 Pitt lost to No. 2 Valparaiso.
normally Use usually instead.
occur, occurred, occurring
(v.) Refers to unplanned events.
Scheduled events take place.
occurrence
oddsmakers (n.)
Ohio Stadium the home of Ohio State football.
Ohio State OSU is acceptable on second reference. Dateline is COLUMBUS Nickname is Buckeyes. They play football at Ohio Stadium. They play basketball at Value City Arena.
OK, OK’d, OK’ing, OK’s Never
okay.
Olympics Capitalize in all references. Summer Olympics, Winter
Games, Olympics, Summer
Games, Winter Games.
on Do not use before day or date
when its absence would not lead
to confusion. They went to the
stadium Thursday. Use to avoid
awkward juxtaposition of date
and proper noun. They went to
Chicago on Thursday. Use to
avoid any suggestion that date is
object of verb. Not: The Pirates
went Thursday to Chicago.
Opening Day Capitalize only
when referring to Major League
Baseball.
oral commitment Do not use
verbal commitment.
out of bounds (n.), out-of-
bounds (adj.)
OUTDOORS
antlers (n.) Those of big-game
animals are measured in one-
eighths
BASS Masters
bream
caliber .22-caliber pistol, 9mm
automatic.
game fish (n.), game-fish (adj.)
gauge 12-gauge shotgun, .410-
guage shotgun.
largemouth bass (n.)
National Muzzleloaders Rifle
Association
National Rifle Association
NRA on second reference or to
avoid awkward lede, but spell
out later.
motorboat (n. or adj.)
mourning dove (n.)
playa (n.) Refers to desert basin
that temporarily becomes shallow after heavy rains.
powerboat (n. or adj.), powerboating (n. or adj.)
rainbow trout (n.)
rod-and-reel outfit
troutline Do not use trout line.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Commission
white-tailed deer, whitetail
season He shot a whitetail.
white-winged dove, whitewing season He shot a whitewing.
pair Use two instead of pair of.
He made two free throws.
Pan American Games Pan Am
Games on second reference or in
headlines.
part time (n.), part-time (adj.)
past Means previous. Does not
imply finality.
percent Always use numerals.
Takes singular verb when standing alone or when singular word
follows of construction. He said
50 percent was hitting poorly. He
said 50 percent of the players
were hitting poorly.
pickup game (n.)
Ping-Pong (trademark), pingpong (generic)
playmaker (n.), playmaking
(adj. or v.)
playoff (n.), play off (v.)
Plexiglass (trademark), plexiglass (generic)
point spread
pompom, pom-pom (n.) Former refers to cheerleading tool.
Latter refers to automatic weapons.
possessives Do not use to indicate that player is member of
team. Not: Penn State’s Joe Crispin. Instead: Joe Crispin of Penn
State or Penn State guard Joe
Crispin. Also, do not use to indicate that event takes place at particular time. Not: Monday’s
game or next week’s draft. But
may use possessive time element
if sentence meaning might be
compromised. This year’s team
learned from the mistakes of its
predecessor.
Some correct usages:
1. Browns running back Eric Turner.
2. The Browns' Eric Turner scored a touchdown.
3. The Browns' 23-21 victory.
4. Eric Lindros' paycheck.
5. He was hired as the Zips' offensive line coach.
6. He will be allowed to do some Cavaliers games.
7.He will be allowed to so some of the Cavaliers' games.
8. Cavaliers fans don't like Quicken Loans Arena.
9. Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello will be there.
10. The Cavs' coach, Mike Fratello, will be there.
postgame (n. or adj.)
postseason (n. or adj.)
pregame (n. or adj.)
prepared statement Use statement instead.
preseason (n. or adj.)
press box (n.), press-box (adj.)
press conference it should be news conference.
Professional Bowlers Association PBA on second reference
or to avoid awkward lede, but
spell out later.
proven (adj.), proved (v.) It’s a
proven fact. He proved the fact.
push-up (n.,adj.), push up (v.)
QRS
BQuicken Loans Arena home to the Cavaliers.
quotable (adj.)
quotebook (n. or adj.)
race course (n.), race-course
(adj.)
race track (n.), race-track
(adj.)
racket (n.) Never racquet, unless referring to racquetball.
racquetball (n. or adj.)
radio stations Construct with
call letters followed by with frequency in parentheses with band width. KDKA (1020-AM).
ratios Use numerals and hyphens. The ration was 4-t0-1. A 4-1 ratio.
records Set off with parentheses. Overall record first, the conference record.
record holder (n.)
redshirt (n. or adj. or v.)
regular season (n.), regular-season (adj.)
resign, re-sign (v.) Former
means to quit. Latter means to
sign a new contract.
Rhodes Arena is home to Akron’s basketball programs. Never use the JAR. Avoid James A. Rhodes Arena.
Rubber Bowl home to Akron football.
rule violations (n.) Do not rules
violations.
salary cap (n.), salary-cap
(adj.)
scabs Do not use to refer to people who cross picket lines. Use
strike-breakers instead.
school Capitalize when part of
proper noun. University isn’t
needed in most stories.
Scholastic Assessment Test
SAT on second reference or to
avoid awkward lede, but spell
out later.
Schottenstein Center Don’t use. It is Value City Arena.
scoreboard (n. or adj.)
scorecard (n. or adj.)
scoresheet (n. or adj.)
season opener (n.), season-opening (adj.)
seconds Follow AP style for
times of less than one minute.
There were two seconds left.
There were 30 seconds left.
sellout (n. or adj.), sell out (v.)
series Use Game 1, Game 2,
Game 3 for parts of a series of
games.
shutout (n. or adj.), shut out
(v.)
sky box (n.), sky-box (adj.)
sold-out (adj.), sold out (v.)
ski (n. or v.), skis (n.), skier
(n.), skiing (n. or adj.)
speed skating (n.), speed-skating (adj.)
sports writer (n.)
standing room only (n.),
standing-room-only (adj.)
Never SRO, except when needed
in agate.
state Do not abbreviate when
part of proper noun, except in
headlines or when needed in agate. Also do not use as verb instead of said.
straight Avoid if trying to mean
consecutive. They won four consecutive games. They won four games in a row.
Super Bowl
swimming Identify events with
distances on first reference.
Men’s 800-meter relay. Condense to men’s 800 relay on second reference. Timing is in minutes, seconds, tenths,
hundredths, if appropriate. Do
not shorten event names, except
in quotes. He won the 200 freestyle. Not: He won the 200 free.
SPORTS MEDICINE
AC joint (n.) Refers to acromioclavicular joint in shoulder.
ACL (n.) Acceptable on second
reference for anterior cruciate
ligament.
anabolic steroids (n.)
androstenedione (n.) Use andro on second reference.
anterior talofibular ligament
(n.) Refers to ankle ligament
often injured in sprains.
arthroscopy (n.), arthroscopic
(adj.) Refers to surgery that can
be used to remove or to repair
tissue, as well as for diagnostic
inspection.
Baker’s cyst (n.) Refers to
swelling of bursa behind knee
due to excess fluid.
bursa (n.), bursal (adj.) Refers
to liquid-filled sac created by
friction.
cartilage (n.) Refers to elastic
tissue that prevents bones from
grating.
charley horse (n.) Refers to
bruise that causes intramuscularly
bleeding.
clavicle Use collarbone.
coccyx Use tailbone. Refers to
group of four fused vertebrae at
end of spine.
creatine (n.)
edema (n.) Refers to accumulation of fluid in organs or in tissues.
femur (n.) Refers to thighbone,
the longest bone in human body.
fibula (n.) Refers to smaller of
two lower-leg bones.
fracture (n. or v.) Use break as
noun or verb in most references.
Refers to breach on bone continuity.
groin Refers to junction of thigh
and abdomen. Not a muscle. Can
use muscles in the groin.
high-ankle sprain (n.)
hip pointer (n.) Refers to bruise
to iliac crest, the lateral edge of
hip.
induced erthracythemia (n.)
Use blood doping. Refers to injecting blood, which was extracted during peak conditioning and then frozen, into the bloodstream as stimulant. Common in running.
LCL (n.) Acceptable on second
reference for lateral collateral
ligament.
MCL (n.) Acceptable on second
reference for medial collateral
ligament.
neoprene (n. or adj.) Refers to
lightweight rubber used in supporting muscle and joint sleeves.
MRI All references for Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
patella (n.), patellar (adj.)
rotator cuff (n.) Refers to area
of shoulder comprising four
muscles.
SC joint (n.) Refers to sternoclavicular joint that connects collarbone and sternum.
Scapula Use shoulder blade.
sciatic nerve (n.) Carries impulses for muscular action to lower back, to thighs and to lower legs. Longest nerve in body.
shin splints (n.) Refers to catch-
all syndrome describing shin
pain not resulting from broken
bone.
synovial fluid (n.) Refers to lubricant for joints and for tendons produced in synovium.
tendinitis (n.) Refers to inflamed tendon.
SOCCER
A-League Acceptable in all references for league that’s part of the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues (USISL on second reference)
CONCACAF Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football
corner kick (n.) Refers to direct
kick from corner of field that’s
result of defensive team touching ball last before it goes over
end line.
dangerous play Refers to foul
usually called for pushing from
behind or for attempting to kick
ball that’s too far off ground.
direct kick (n.) Refers to form
of playing after foul. Kicking
player can shoot immediately.
FIFA All references, but must
be identified as world soccer’s
governing body.
goalkeeper (n.), goalkeeping
(adj.) Confine goalie and keeper
to quotes. Never goaltender.
goal kick (n.) Refers to direct
kick by defensive team after ball
played over end line by offense.
half volley (n.) Refers to kicking ball out of air on its upward
flight.
handball Refers to foul by player other than goalkeeper. Only
goalkeeper can touch ball with
hands.
Major Indoor League Soccer
MISL on all references.
Major League Soccer MLS on
all references. Never: the MLS.
match (n.) use instead of games.
National Professional Soccer League NPSL on second reference or to avoid awkward
lede, but spell out later. Never:
the NPSL
pitch (n.) Synonym for field.
positions In outdoor soccer,
players categorized as forwards
or strikers; midfielders or defenders. Players organized into
front line, midfield and back line.
Many teams have sweeper who
has similar duties to those of a
free safety in football.
punt (n.) Refers to clearing kick
by goalkeeper.
side (n.) Synonym for team.
volley Refers to shooting ball
out of air on its downward flight.
yellow card (n.) Refers to
warning akin to personal foul in
football or technical foul in basketball. Second yellow card results in red card and subsequent ejection. If player is ejected, team plays man short for rest of match.
TUVWB
table tennis (n.)
tae kwon do
teenager (n.), teenaged (adj.)
television (n. or adj.) TV on
second reference as noun or on
first reference as adjective.
TV station call letters WEWS (Channel 5), ESPN.
thanks Avoid using in phrases
of causation. Not: Thanks to the
injury, they lost the game.
that, which, who, whom Use who and whom in referring to people and to animals with a name. See who, whom entry in the AP stylebook for further information. Use that and which for inanimate objects and to animals without names. That does not get commas because it is used with essential clauses. Which does get a comma because it is used with nonessential clauses.
The Athletics Congress TAC
on second reference or to avoid
awkward lede, but spell out later.
tiebreaker (n.), tie-breaking
(adj.)
till, until Do not use ’til.
timeout, timeouts (n.)
times Do not use o’clock, except
in quotes. In copy, always construct in this manner: time date, place. It starts at 1 p.m. Thursday in Pittsburgh.
title holder (n.)
titles Uppercase when organization precedes title. Otherwise, capitalize formal titles before names. Twins General Manager Terry Ryan. Allegheny County Commissioner Mike Dawida.
Top 25 Capitalize when referring the official Associated Press poll. Lowercase in generic usages.
topspin (n. or adj.)
Tour de France Use the Tour
on second reference or in headlines.
trademarks Use as proper adjectives followed by generic
nouns or phrases. Do not make
plural or use in possessive forms.
Never use as verbs. Crest toothpaste, Macý’s department store Jell-O gelatin.
Triple-A baseball, Double-A
Aeros
tune-up (n. or adj.), tune up (v.)
TENNIS
ace (n).
ad-in (n.)
ad-out (n.)
ad court (n.) Refers to area on
right side of court where serves
must land.
all (n)
Association of Tennis Professionals ATP on second reference or to avoid awkward lede, but spell out later.
backcourt (n.)
backhand (n.)
baseline (n. or adj.), baseline
player (n.) Do not use base-liner.
cross-court (adj.)
Davis Cup Refers to international men’s team tournament.
Named after Dwight Davis, who
commissioned a $750 bowl
and offered it for competition
among nations.
deuce (n. or adj.)
deuce court (n.) Refers to area
on left side of court where serves
must land.
drop shot (n.), drop-shot (adj.)
drop volley (n.), drop-volley
(adj.)
Federation Cup Refers to
women’s equivalent of Davis
Cup. Started in 1963.
forehand (n. or adj.)
ground stroke (n.), ground-
stroke (adj.)
half volley (n.), half-volley
(adj.)
International Tennis Federation ITF on second reference or
to avoid awkward lede, but spell
out later.
Grand Slam Comprises four
major tournaments: Australian
Open (rubberized courts),
French Open (clay), Wimbledon
(Grass), and U.S. Open (hard
courts).
kicker, kick serve (n.) Refers to
serve with topspin that kicks
high and right for right-handed
players, high and left for left-
handed players. Also known as
an American Twist.
let (n.) Refers to call when point
must be replayed. Usually called
when serve hits net and falls into
proper service court.
linesman, lineswoman (n. or
adj.)
no-ad Refers to system that replaces the love-15-30-40 scoring
manner with 0-1-2-3. At 3-3, the
receiver of serve chooses service
court, and the next point decides
the game. Also known as Van
Alem Streamlined Scoring System (VASS on second reference).
open era (n.) Sarting in 1968,
the ITF permitted professionals
to compete in events that had
been reserved for amateurs.
seeds Distinguish between tournament seeding sand world rankings..
service line Refers to back line
of service court.
umpire (n.) Refers to judge who
sits in the chair and is in charge
of the match. The umpire can
overrule any call.
Wightman Cup Annual women’s team competition between
United States and Britain. The
best-of-seven event (five singles,
two doubles) started in 1923.
Wimbledon Do not use London.
TRACK
400-meter dash. But he ran 400 meters.
1,600-meter relay team, Avoid 4x400 relay team.
UCLA All references.
UConn Acceptable on second
reference for Connecticut
UMass Acceptable on second
reference for Massachusetts.
ultra-marathoner
unanswered Do not use. It has
become a cliché. Instead: They
scored 10 consecutive points or 10 points in a row. But be specific,
so as not to confuse readers on
whether an individual or a team
scored consecutive points.
USA Basketball Formerly
known as Amateur Basketball
Association of the U.S.A.
USA Today
B
Value City Arena home to Ohio State basketball programs. Don’t use Schottenstein Center.
versus Abbreviate vs., except in
quotes.
very (adv.) Avoid using. Can be
redundant.
victory (n.) Use victory over,
not victory against.
videotape (n. or adj. or v.)
Vince Lombardi Trophy
Given to Super Bowl.
walk-on (n. or adj.), walk-ons
(n.), walk on (v.)
warm-ups (n.), warm up (v.)
washed-up (adj.), wash up (v.)
weightlifter (n.), weightlifting
(adj.)
weight room (n.), weight-
room (adj.)
were (v.) Clause introduced by
if requires subjunctive form were
when it’s contrary to fact or
when it’s expression of regret. If
he were there, they would have
won the game.
while Do not use interchangeably with although or whereas.
Denotes time reference. Not: Bill
scored 10 points, while Andy had
eight.
wild card (n.), wild-card (adj.)
win (n. or v.)
Women’s International
Bowling Congress
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