Helena Frye
When covering basketball AP style, it's important to follow the AP Stylebook guidelines for sports writing. This includes proper capitalisation, such as for leagues (e.g.
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What You'll Learn
Capitalization
Capitalize the names of teams, associations, and recognized nicknames, such as the Red Sox, the Big Ten, the A's, and the Colts. Capitalize leagues, as they are proper nouns, for example, the NFL and the NBA.
Capitalize the full terms: American League, National League, American League East, Organized Ball, Deadball Era, Negro League, Class A, and Class B. However, use lowercase for generic terms like "the league" or "the pennant in the West." Capitalize "World Series" and "the Series," but not "world championship." When referring to games in the World Series, use uppercase, for example, "Game Three."
Capitalize the word "Award" when naming awards, for example, Most Valuable Player Award. Capitalize "All-Star," "All-Star Player," and "All-Star Game", especially when referring to the MLB's All-Star Game or All-Star selections. Do not capitalize "varsity," but do capitalize Division I, II, III, and JV soccer.
Capitalize specific event names, such as the Kentucky Derby, the Rose Bowl, and the Orange Bowl. Capitalize "Opening Day" when referring to the start of a season, but not when referring to the opening day of a series.
Capitalize "Olympics" for all references to the international athletic contests, including the Olympics, Winter Olympics, Olympic Games, and an Olympic-size swimming pool.
Capitalize "Stadium" only when it is part of a proper name, for example, "Wembley Stadium."
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Numbers and scores
When reporting on basketball using the AP style, there are specific guidelines to follow when it comes to numbers and scores.
Firstly, all numbers under ten should be written out in full. For example, "Jones had five assists". Numbers ten and above can be written in numerical form, such as "Dean grabbed 11 rebounds". An exception to this rule is when referring to "per" stats, such as points per game or rebounds per game. In these cases, always use numbers since they are averages, for example, "Dean averages 2.5 steals per game".
When referring to heights, use figures and dashes, for example, "Jones, a 6-5 guard". If a player is seven feet tall or above, you can simply write "Pinkney is 7 feet tall" or "Pinkney, a 7-footer".
In basketball, you may refer to scores and yardage. Use figures for these, for example, "1-yard line" or "4 seconds before halftime". When reporting the final score, use a hyphen between the two scores, with the winning score coming first, for example, "the final score was 12-6".
When referring to specific plays or sequences, use figures for yardage, such as "the 5-yard line" or "he ran a 7-yard gain". You can also refer to a "fourth-and-two play".
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Abbreviations
When it comes to numbers, whole numbers one through nine should be written out, while numbers 10 and above should be represented numerically. For example, "Jones had five assists" and "Dean grabbed 11 rebounds". However, when referring to "per" stats, always use numbers since they are averages, for example, "Dean averages 2.5 steals per game" or "Jones averages 22.5 points per game".
For "per game" stats, on the first reference, spell out "yards per game/points per game". Abbreviations are acceptable on the second reference. For height, use figures and dashes, for example, "Jones, a 6-5 guard" or "Pinkney is 7 feet tall".
When referring to basketball leagues, use "NBA" to refer to the National Basketball Association. On the second reference, this can be shortened to "the league". When referring to other basketball professionals, use "BKN". For college basketball, use "BBC", and for women's college basketball, use "BKW".
When referring to schools, on the first reference, spell out the school name, and then use abbreviations on subsequent references. For example, "WKU is looking for its 10th straight win. The Hilltoppers will seek to win their fourth game in a row."
Finally, some common terms in basketball that should be abbreviated include PPG (points per game), RPG (rebounds per game), APG (assists per game), BPG (blocks per game), and SPG (steals per game).
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Terminology
Basketball, like any other major sport, has its own extensive vocabulary of unique words and phrases used by players, coaches, sports journalists, commentators, and fans. The terminology varies depending on the region and level of play (NBA/WNBA, NCAA college level, high school, or youth basketball). Street basketball culture also generates new slang that often makes its way into the mainstream basketball vocabulary.
- Airball: An off-target shot that completely misses both the rim and the backboard.
- And 1: An opportunity to make an extra point by shooting a free throw if a player is fouled while shooting a made basket.
- Ankle/Ankle Breaker: When an offensive player outmaneuvers their defender, often using a crossover, causing the defender to stumble or fall.
- Baller: A basketball player, especially a skilled one.
- Benchwarmer: A player who spends most of the game on the bench.
- Cherry picker: A player who decides not to play defense and instead stays near their opponent's goal, with the primary objective of receiving the ball from their teammates for easier points.
- Double Nickel: When a player scores 55 points or more in a single game.
- Downtown: A term that describes a very long shot.
- Dropping a Dime: When a player makes a precise, difficult pass that results in a scoring opportunity for a teammate.
- Flop: When an offensive player exaggerates a fall, often with little to no contact, to try to trigger a foul call.
- GOAT: An acronym for "Greatest of All Time."
- Goal-tending: Intercepting a shot that is either in the basket or directly above it.
- Guard: To closely watch an opponent to prevent them from gaining possession of the ball or from making a pass or shot.
- Gunner: A player who takes frequent, and often imprudent, shot attempts.
- Held Ball: When two opposing players attempt but fail to possess the ball.
- High Post: The area near the free-throw line.
- Jump Ball: The ball is tossed into the air by the referee between two opposing players to start the game.
- Jump Shot: A shot in which an offensive player's feet leave the floor.
- Key: The free-throw and foul lane area of the court.
- Lane: Also called the "paint"; the area extending from the end line to the free-throw line and 12 feet across.
- Lane Violation: Moving into the lane to intercept a possible rebound on a foul shot before the ball hits the rim.
- Lay-up: Advancing close to the basket to bank a shot off the backboard.
- Live Ball: A ball in play.
- Low Post: The area close to the basket.
- Overtime: Extra time given in a tied regulation game.
- Palming: Another term for "carrying the ball."
- Pass: A play from one teammate to another.
- Period: A segment of game time; either a quarter, half, or overtime.
- Perimeter: The part of the court that extends beyond the foul circle.
- Personal Foul: Contacting a player in a way that may cause injury.
- Pick: An offensive player sets up a screen.
- Pivot: The center position; also, the foot that remains stationary until a dribbler passes the ball.
- Player-to-player Defense: A defense strategy in which each player is assigned an opponent to guard; also called "man-to-man defense."
- Point Guard: A strategy in which a guard advances the ball up-court to begin an offensive play.
- Possession: To have the ball.
- Post: The space on both sides of the free-throw lane.
- Post Up: To be in a position near, but facing away from, the basket in order to receive a pass.
- Quadruple Double: A player earns two-digit figures in four out of five offensive categories during a single game.
- Rebound: Gaining possession of the ball after it bounces off the backboard or rim following a missed shot.
- Reverse Dribble: Also known as a "spin dribble"; used to reverse the direction of the ball.
- Reverse Pivot: Turning on the pivot foot while taking a step back.
- Rocker Step: A jab step followed by a step back in preparation for shooting or driving the ball.
- Screen: An offensive player is positioned between a teammate and the opponent to clear the way for the teammate's shot at the basket.
- Shot: To throw the ball toward the basket.
- Shot Clock: A device that keeps track of the limited time the team in possession of the ball has to take a shot at the basket.
- Shooter: The ball handler who takes aim at the basket.
- Shooting Guard: The player who generally takes most of the shots from the perimeter.
- Triple-double: When a player reaches double digits in three out of five offensive categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks) in a single game.
In addition to these terms, the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook provides specific guidance on how to cover basketball and other sports. For example, when referring to the Paralympic Games, the AP Stylebook recommends capitalizing the word "Paralympic" and using the term "Paralympian" to describe the athletes. The Stylebook also provides sport identification codes for various sports, including basketball. The code for men's basketball is BKO, while BKL is used for women's basketball, with "3x3" added when applicable.
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Statistics
When covering basketball AP style, there are several guidelines to follow when reporting statistics. Firstly, always use figures for yardages, scores, statistics, and clock time. For example, "James threw 8-of-18 for 200 yards and a touchdown" or "4 seconds before halftime".
When using a figure as a modifier, include a hyphen, for example, "James threw a 5-yard pass" or "James threw a pass for five yards". For yard lines, use figures followed by a hyphen, for example, "FIU's 31-yard-line".
When referring to a player's height, use figures and dashes, for example, "Jones, a 6-5 guard" or "Pinkney is 7 feet tall".
For "per" stats, use numbers since they are averages. For example, "Dean averages 2.5 steals per game" or "Jones averages 22.5 points per game". When referring to points per game, use PPG on the first reference and subsequent mentions. Similarly, use abbreviations for rebounds per game (RPG), assists per game (APG), blocks per game (BPG), steals per game (SPG), and turnovers per game (TOPG).
Whole numbers one through nine should be written out, while 10 and above should be represented numerically. For example, "Jones had five assists" and "Dean grabbed 11 rebounds".
Additionally, always spell out common abbreviations and do not abbreviate leagues. For example, use "National League" instead of "NL". However, it is acceptable to use abbreviations for RBIs (runs batted in) and when referring to innings, write out the word for the first nine innings and use numerical values for innings greater than nine (10th, 11th, etc.).
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Frequently asked questions
Here are some key AP style rules for covering basketball:
- Capitalize basketball terms such as All-America and All-American.
- Use figures for yardages, scores, and statistics, e.g., "4 seconds before halftime."
- Use a hyphen when a figure is used as a modifier, e.g., "a 5-yard pass."
- For player heights, use figures and dashes, e.g., "a 6-5 guard."
- Use specific basketball terms like "backboard," "baseline," "field goal," "foul shot," and "free throw."
When referring to teams and players, follow these AP style guidelines:
- Capitalize team names and recognized associations, e.g., "the Jazz," "the Red Sox."
- Capitalize sports teams and proper nouns, e.g., "The Bears."
- Spell out school names on first reference, then use abbreviations if applicable, e.g., "WKU."
- Use "Coach" as a job description, not a formal title, and lowercase it.
AP style has specific rules for formatting numbers and scores:
- Write out whole numbers from one through nine and use numerals for numbers 10 and above, e.g., "five assists" vs. "11 rebounds."
- For "per" stats, use numbers since they are averages, e.g., "2.5 steals per game."
- For ending scores, use numerals with a hyphen, e.g., "the final score was 12-6."
- Always spell out "percent," never use the % symbol, e.g., "50 percent from the free-throw line."
