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How to write a basketball article
How to Write a Basketball Game Recap
Jeff Gordon Updated August 07, 2017
The principles of a good basketball game story have remained the same, even as the method of consumption has shifted from print to computers to mobile devices. Newspaper reporters adhered to the "inverted pyramid" model of putting the most important information at the top of the story and then working down with concise construction and wording. That approach allowed layout editors to simply cut from the bottom of stories to make them fit on the page. It also got the most important information on the front page, before the story jumped inside. This structure still works in today's digital world where consumers skim stories on their computer and mobile devices.
Determine Your Story Focus
The classic "who, what, when, where, why" journalism still works for basketball game stories. Answer all of those questions quickly, but focus on why the winning team prevailed.![]()
Narrow that down to the most important factor. That could be one player's great performance, one aspect of the game such as team shooting or rebounding, one sequence of the game or one play of the game. Focus on that most important factor in your "lede" atop your story.
The work starts before the game. Research the teams and players to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Anticipate possible story angles, but don't lock into one before the game plays out. Take copious notes once the game starts, adding as much detail as possible to your running play-by-play summary. Note all the big plays, critical game junctures and momentum shifts. Interview the coaches and relevant players after the game to gain more insight and gather quotes to use in the story.
Write a Strong Lede
Get the readers' attention immediately and tell them why the game was won or lost before they drift on. Consider how much ground Washington Post sportswriter Liz Clarke covered with her story lede from the 2014 NCAA Tournament title game: "Led by one of a dying breed in college basketball, a NBA-worthy point guard who stayed in school for his senior year, Connecticut toppled a Kentucky team that had cornered the market on teenage talent to claim the school’s fourth NCAA championship on Monday.
" That set the theme. This was her following paragraph: "Senior Shabazz Napier did nearly everything for his Huskies at AT&T Stadium, scoring a game-high 22 points, directing the offense and controlling the tempo in Connecticut's 60-54 victory before a NCAA championship-record crowd of 79,238 that included past presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton looking on as giddy seatmates from a luxury box." She covered all the W's, captured the game's essence and added some color as well.
Support Your Lede
Keep your story focused by expounding on the lede's theme. Mix in concise game description, compelling statistics, interesting coach and player comments and key background material. In the third paragraph of her story, Clarke wrote: "It was Connecticut’s fourth national title in the last 15 years and its least probable. The Huskies became the lowest seed, at No. 7, to win the national championship since Villanova in 1985. And their triumph followed a one-year ban from the postseason because it had fallen short of the NCAA’s minimal academic standards.
" In her fourth and fifth paragraphs, Clarke offered good quotes, scene description and more facts: “ 'This is what happens when you ban us!' a jubilant Napier said into a TV camera as confetti rained around him, explaining later that the Huskies hadn’t been driven by revenge so much as hunger. 'We came out here to play,' said Napier, who was voted most outstanding player of the Final Four. 'We didn’t listen to any doubters.' "
Write Tight and Bright
Stay on point and keep your story flowing. Provide analysis, not just a recitation of facts. Use only the best player and coach comments. Don't bog down your story with empty, repetitious or run-on quotes. Don't overwhelm the reader with statistics that don't add insight or support your theme. Limit your play-by-play description to the key junctures and decisive plays of the game. Otherwise, offer a brief overview of how the game played out. This is especially true at the major college and NBA levels, where readers can easily access full play-by-plays, detailed statistical breakdowns and video replays on the Internet.
Module 4: How to write an engaging sports article
What is plain language?
According to communications scholar Richard Wydick, plain language is “clear, concise and correct” communication. It avoids jargon and delivers its message simply but effectively so that the reader gets the message as quickly as possible.
Above all, however, plain language is about meeting your readers’ needs, so you need to identify what you know about them. How much detail do they want? Are they busy or will they be browsing your article for pleasure? How much knowledge do they have about your sport and/or your subject matter?
Once you know your audience, use both the content of your article and its structure to deliver your message. Here are some simple ways to make your writing meet plain language standards:
- Use headings, short sections and short sentences to make your writing easy to digest.
- Use active voice whenever possible. (Example: “Bob walked the dog” not “The dog was walked by Bob.
”) - Edit each sentence to get rid of excess words. Sometimes it helps to set a goal of cutting 25 or 50 words or staying under a certain word count.
- Use precise, specific language. Concrete words are better than abstract ones. For example, say “Jane has a 41% shooting percentage” instead of “Jane is a great shooter.”
- Get rid of jargon. In some sports this is unavoidable, so if you must use jargon try to convey its meaning through the context.
- Use bullet points to highlight information.
- Get rid of sports clichés.
- Try reading your piece out loud. If you stumble over a sentence or find yourself out of breath at the end of a paragraph, some editing is likely needed.
The two types of articles
Every journalism student quickly learns the difference between hard news and soft news. Hard news is factual and relies on timeliness. Its purpose is to inform the reader. Soft news, however, does not need to be timely.
Its purpose is to entertain the reader or give advice. For example, an article about the Chesterville Cheetahs winning the high school championships would be a hard news story. A profile about the Chesterville Cheetahs’ star player, whose mother and grandmother also won the same title, would be a soft news story.
Writing hard news articles
Hard news is read quickly, so the most important facts must come first. In journalism school, they call this the “inverted pyramid”. The first paragraph contains the most important information (who, what, where, when, why, how) and the following paragraphs add an increasing level of detail. The reader could read just the first paragraph and come away with a good idea of what happened.
The lede, or first sentence, is the most crucial part of the article. Your lede should concisely tell the reader who, what, where, when, why and how. For example, “The Chesterville Cheetahs beat the Brownville Bruins 54-52 to win the 2015 Bob Smith Memorial Basketball Championship yesterday.
” Your lede should feel complete but not crowded, so it’s okay to split your lede into two sentences to ensure that it flows nicely.
If your lede is effective, writing the rest of the article will come easily. Keep building details and background information, including quotes, until you have succinctly summarized the event. Make sure to keep your paragraphs short for maximum readability.
Writing soft news articles
In the soft news article, you are not bound by the traditional rules of journalism. While a hard news story is meant to be read quickly, a soft news story is in no such hurry. Many sports writers use the form to step back and examine a trend or a larger issue within the sport or delve deep into an interesting person’s life. When done well, soft news articles can inspire, motivate and teach.
Soft stories are usually longer and sometimes even use techniques found in fiction. If creative writing isn’t one of your skills, however, don’t worry.
In the sports world, a soft news piece could be a simple interview with an athlete, an opinion piece about a rule change, or a how-to article on how to select the best piece of equipment. It could even be a Buzzfeed-style list.
Often, the success of the soft news article rests on how interesting your “characters” are, so a good story starts with a good interview. For tips on how to conduct an interview, read our toolkit module on sports interviews. For an example of a good use of quotes, check out this article on wheelchair rugby’s Zak Madell by Vancouver Sun journalist Gary Kingston. He uses Madell and his mother’s own words to tell the story, but shapes the narrative with his personal insights.
Here are some tips to help you write a strong soft article:
- Identify the “so what” of the piece. Why is this person or topic interesting to the reader?
- Make sure to do your research. The more you know about the subject, the richer the story will be.
- Soft news is a great way to get out your organization’s key messages.
Does an athlete, coach or volunteer have a story that illustrates the good work your organization is doing? - Read newspapers and magazines to find examples of great soft news writing.
- While it’s okay to use some stylistic flourishes in certain types of soft news articles, make sure to use good plain language techniques.
- If you’re having trouble finding a structure for your article, try pretending that you are telling it to a friend.
- As with a hard news article, remember to consider your audience. If your audience includes people outside of your community, consider how much these readers might know about your sport.
By following a few simple writing techniques, you can write articles that will engage your audience and deliver your organization’s message more effectively. In the next module, we’ll build on the skills we’ve learned and apply them to writing for the web. Do you have a question about writing articles? Do you have a best practice we didn’t mention? Get in the conversation by emailing info@viasport.
ca or tweeting @ViaSportBC.
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Sources
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/journalism1/journalism-writing-the-hard-news-story
https://collegejournalism.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/hard-news-vs-soft-news
http://grammarist.com/usage/lead-lede/
http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/quickreference/checklist.cfm
http://www.komarketingassociates.com/images/2014/09/news_writing_inverted_pyramid.jpg
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Madell+used+rough+tumble+with+video/6821458/story.html
http://senateshj.com/news/top-tips-soft-news-tv#.VcAtyZNViko
http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar-rules-and-tips/tips-on-writing-a-news-report.html
Article on "Basketball"
"Basketball"
BASKETBALL (from English "basket" - basket and "ball" - ball), team sports game, goal which is to throw the ball with your hands into the ring (basket) of the opponent, attached to shield.
A hit can bring a team from one to three points. In match the team with the most points wins.
THE ORIGIN OF THE GAME
Physical Education Instructor at Springfield Training School (later school was converted into a college) in Massachusetts (USA) by James Naismith in December 1891 invented the game, which he described as follows: “Basketball is easy to play, but it is difficult to play well.” The new game turned out to be so dynamic and captivating that surpassed Naismith's wildest hopes. Very soon she won universal recognition in America, and in the modern world it is played millions of people.
In tribute to James Naismith, Springfield College in 1911 He was awarded the honorary degree of Master of Physical Education. In 1939 McGill University awarded Naismith an M.D., and in 1968 Springfield College opened the James Naismith Museum - "Hall of Basketball glory." So respect was expressed to the person who gave the world a beautiful game.
James Naismith was born in 1861 in Canada, died in 1939.
Of course, creating new game, he to some extent used historical information about games with ball, which in ancient times were cultivated on the American continent. For example, more than two and a half thousand years ago, the Inca and Maya tribes, who lived in those times in the territory of present-day Mexico, they played the so-called pok-tapok. The object of the game was to throw the ball into the stone ring, mounted vertically on the wall.
In the sixteenth century, the Aztecs had a game called ollamalituli: the players tried to throw a rubber ball into a stone ring.
Having started working at Springfields College, James Naismith met with Dr. Luther Gulick, who was persistently looking for new forms and methods physical education. Instructed by Dr. Gulik to revive the lessons, James Naismith came up with an indoor game. Gym conditions determined the need to play with a round ball and only with hands. For this was the option of a soccer ball was chosen, which could be easily caught, passed, quit after a relatively short practice.
To avoid rudeness throwing the target and developing accuracy, Naismith positioned the target over the players, out beyond their reach: to the railing of the balcony, he attached two baskets to collect peaches, in which it was necessary to throw the ball. Balcony of the gym was at a height of 3 m 5 cm from the floor - this height corresponds to the modern the distance from the surface of the basketball court to the top of the hoop baskets.
The new game was initially played by men and women at the same time.
Since there were eighteen people in the gymnastic group, Naismith divided into two teams of nine. The number of players was later reduced to seven, and then to five, as more participants created playground too much fuss. Since the ball was thrown into the basket, the new game received the name "basketball" (basket- basket, ball)
In December 1891, Naismith formulated the first rules of the new game and held first basketball match. At 1892, he published the "Book of the rules of the game in basketball”, containing thirteen points, the majority of which in one or another form is still in use today.
Quite soon after the first matches, these rules were somewhat changed. One of the reasons for the change, in particular, was the introduction of shields (1895), in which baskets began to be attached. Shields were a kind of protection baskets. The fact is that the temperamental spectators who were on the balcony, trying to help their team, they often caught the ball and sent it to the basket enemy teams.
Basketball Development
Further the development of the game entailed a change in the rules, inventory, equipment and basketball player costume. In 1893, iron rings with a grid appeared for the first time.
In 1894 the size of the ball was increased to 30-32 inches (76.2-81.3cm).
In 1895 free throws were introduced from 15 feet away. Dribbling in all its variants was legalized in 1896
Shortly after its introduction, basketball in the United States became very popular. Several later this game began to be played in other countries.
First the stage of development of basketball, covering 1891-1918, is the stage of its formation like a new game. Created to revitalize gymnastics lessons, basketball gradually turned into a sports game with all its inherent features.
In 1894, the first official rules of the game were published in the USA, according to which hold competitions.
Simultaneously with the spread of the game, the formation of its technique and tactics went on. Techniques appeared - catching the pass, dribbling and throwing the ball into the basket. However, there was no dynamics in the technique - all passes and throws were performed with places with both hands. In tactics, the game functions of the participants were determined teams and their division into attackers and defenders. It was during these years that basketball began to spread within the walls of Europe and South America.
The second stage of game development - 1919 g
Characterized creation of national basketball federations that
positive influence on its further development
B October 1927 a school of physical education was established in Geneva which was appointed a teacher from Springfield College Dr.
Elmer Berry. The opening of this school was aimed at developing basketball in Europe and other continents. Basketball began to be widely cultivated in Czechoslovakia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Italy, France. South American the basketball confederation held its continental championships during these years , similar competitions were held in the countries of East Asia.
Steel international meetings are also held. In 1919, the first international basketball tournament between US, Italian and French army teams.
Third the stage of development of basketball, covering 1932-1947, is characterized by an all-round development of world basketball.
Significant An event in the history of the game was the creation on June 18, 1932. International Federation basketball - FIBA.
Rules of the game.
The game is played on rectangular area with a length of 28 and a width of 15 m (previously its dimensions were, respectively, 26ґ14 m) with a special ball.
Ball weight 567-650 grams, circumference 749–780 mm (in games of men's teams; in games of women's teams smaller balls are used, and even fewer in mini-basketball matches). Basketballs come in two types: those designed to be played only in premises (indoor) and universal, i.e. suitable for use and indoors and outdoors (indoor/outdoor). Basket (metal ring 45 cm in diameter with a net stretched over it without a bottom) is mounted at a height of 3.05 m on shield mounted on a rack parallel to the front lines of the site.
Command and substitute players.
Each team member includes 5 main and 5-7 (in major tournaments) permanent substitutes, who may enter the game only after the game has stopped and the referee whistles.
If the team owning the ball is entitled to a substitution at each stoppage of play, the team not in possession of the ball is only entitled to a substitution in the event of a bounce and a time-out or when the team in possession makes a substitution.
Time games.
All classes Basketball matches last 2 halves of 20 minutes of pure time.
Halftime is 10 min. If at the end of the match time the teams scored the same number of points, then extra time (5 minutes) is given to identify winner.
Timeout.
Each team has the right 2 time-outs in each half and 1 time-out in extra time. Trainers usually use a timeout to give players tactical instructions and make a replacement.
Start games.
The game begins with in the center of the court, the referee throws the ball up between 2 players, each of whom trying to hit the ball to his team. The rest of the team members are out. the center circle or in the front zone.
Regulations movement.
According to this rule the player who received the ball has the right to take only 2 steps (more precisely, 2 contacts with gender). Touching the floor while receiving the ball (also catching the ball on the spot) counted for the 1st contact.
Jumping from a place with the ball in hand is a foul movement rules. Especially often this rule is violated during jogging, in beginning and end of dribbling.
Dribbling.
At some point an athlete can only dribble once. As soon as an athlete touches the ball with both hands or takes it with one or the other hand – dribbling ends. If the athlete continues to dribble again, then this considered a violation of the rules (double-dribbling). The ball is passed to the opposing team which brings him into play from behind the sideline.
Stop ball.
Stop ball called such a game situation in which the ball is in contact with 1 or 2 players from each team and the ball is out of play. In this case the game continues with a controversial throw-in.
Ball out of the game.
If the ball or ball carrier touches the boundary lines of the site or the floor, an object or a person outside court, the referee gives the command "offside".
If it is difficult to determine the offside position, i.
e. if both side referees hold different opinions, or if the judges were unable to determine due to the fault which team was called offside, the game continues by a moot throw-in.
Throw-in.
After stopping the game in offside or technical errors (violation of the movement rule, double dribbling, violation of the 3 sec rule, etc.) the ball is put into play by throw-in from the sideline. In the event of a successful throw into the basket, throw-in from behind the end line.
Grades.
Throwing the ball into the basket counted if the ball falls through the ring and the net from top to bottom. For each successful throw made during the game, the team receives 2 point, for each successful free throw - 1 point.
Foul rule.
One of the most important rules of basketball is the foul rule (translated from English - "error"). There are personal and technical fouls.
K Personal fouls include any intentional touching of an opponent (delay, pushes, punches, blocking with arms and legs, etc.
). In such cases, the ball is passed to the opponent for a throw-in. After the 11th foul in a half period the time of an opponent's unsuccessful throw is punishable by 2 free throws.
Except In addition, all personal comments are recorded in the athlete's personal card. If a at the same time 2 players of the team receive a reprimand, then the opponent gets the right to 2 free throws. In most cases, the free throw is taken by the player in relation to which the rules were violated.
Mutual players receive a warning in case of simultaneous violation of the rules in relation to to each other. In this case, a controversial throw-in occurs. Every player who received 5 personal or technical comments must leave the area. In case of gross and intentional violations of the rules, the athlete may be disqualified. But in both cases, the team has the right to change.
Starting since 1976, offensive fouls on basket shots have been particularly severely penalized. If a due to a foul, the ball does not enter the basket, the attacker is entitled to 2 free kicks throw.
If, on the 1st or 2nd free throw, the ball does not hit the basket, the attacker is entitled to 1 more free throw (3 in total).
If, despite the foul, the player shoots the ball into the basket, then this throw is counted and the player receives an additional 1 free throw.
Technical a foul is called in case of unsportsmanlike behavior of a player and is penalized 2 free throws, which are performed by any player of the opposing team.
Time rules.
Some of the rules of time are extremely important. 30 seconds after the throw-in, the attack must be completed with a throw into the opponent's basket (30 second rule). 3 sec rule states that an attacker cannot be in the opponent's free throw area more than 3 sec. For a throw-in and for a free throw to a player 5 seconds are given. In case of violation of the time rules, the ball is given to the opponent for face-off.
Rule 10 sec implies that the attacking team is obliged after the throw-in, carried out in its half of the court, no longer than after 10 seconds, bring the ball to half of the opponent, and after that the attacking team cannot return the ball to your half.
Basketball: history, rules, inventory, playground
Basketball (from English basket - basket, ball - ball) is an Olympic sport, a sports team game with a ball, the goal of which is to throw the ball into the opponent's basket more times than the opposing team does at the set time. Each team consists of 5 field players.
Contents
- The history of the emergence and development of basketball
- Basketball rules (briefly)
- Basketball field
- Basketball
- Basketball hoop and backboard dimensions
- Refereeing in basketball
- Basketball Federation
The history of the emergence and development of basketball
In 1891, in the United States of America, a young teacher, a native of Canada, Dr. James Naismith, trying to "revive" gymnastics lessons, attached two fruit baskets to the railing of the balcony and suggested throwing soccer balls into it.
The resulting game only remotely resembled modern basketball. There was no question of any management, the players threw the ball to each other and then tried to throw it into the basket. The team that scored the most goals won.
A year later, Naismith developed the first rules of basketball. The very first matches under these rules caused their first changes.
Gradually, basketball from the United States penetrated first to the East - Japan, China, the Philippines, and then to Europe and South America. After 10 years at the Olympic Games in St. Louis, the Americans organized a demonstration tour between the teams of several cities. The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was formed in 1946. The first match under her auspices took place on November 1 of the same year in Toronto between the Toronto Huskies and New York Knickerbockers. At 19In 1949, the association merged with the US National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).
In 1967, the American Basketball Association was created, which for a long time tried to compete with the NBA, but merged with it 9 years later. Today, the NBA is one of the most influential and well-known professional basketball leagues in the world.
The International Amateur Basketball Federation was founded in 1932. The federation includes 8 countries: Argentina, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania. Sweden, Czechoslovakia. Based on the name, it was assumed that the organization would only lead amateur basketball, however, at 1989, professional basketball players received admission to international competitions, and the word "amateur" was removed from the name.
The very first international match took place in 1904, and in 1936 basketball entered the program of the Summer Olympic Games.
Basketball rules (briefly)
The rules of the game of basketball changed several times until 2004, when the final version of the rules took shape, which is considered relevant to this day.
- Basketball is played by two teams. Usually a team consists of 12 people, 5 of which are field players, and the rest are considered substitutes.
- Basketball dribbling . Athletes in possession of the ball must move around the field, hitting the floor with it. Otherwise, "carrying the ball" will be counted, and this is a violation of the rules in basketball. Accidentally touching the ball with a body part other than the hand is not considered a foul, unlike purposeful play with the foot or fist.
- A basketball game consists of 4 periods or halves, but the time of each half (play time) varies depending on the basketball association. So, for example, in NBA a match consists of 4 halves of 12 minutes each, and in FIBA each such half lasts 10 minutes.
- Short breaks are provided between periods, and between the second and third periods, the break time is increased.
- The ball thrown into the basket can bring a different number of points to its team.
If the ball is scored during the free throw, the team earns 1 point. If the ball is thrown from an average or close distance (closer than the 3-point line), then the team is given 2 points. A team earns three points if the ball is scored from behind the three-point line. - If in regular time both teams scored the same number of points, then a 5-minute overtime is assigned, if it ended in a draw, then the next one is assigned and so on until the winner is determined.
- 3 Second Rule - A rule that prohibits any player on the offensive team from being in the free throw area for more than three seconds.
- Basketball Two Step Rule . The player is only allowed to take two steps with the ball, after which he must either shoot or pass.
Basketball field
The playing field for basketball has a rectangular shape and a hard surface. The surface of the site must not have any bends, cracks or any other deformations.
The size of the basketball court must be 28 meters long and 15 meters wide (standard). The height of the ceiling must be at least 7 meters, and on professional sites, ceilings are raised to a height of 12 meters and above. The lighting on the field must be designed so as not to interfere with the movement of the players and must evenly cover the entire court.
Until the end of the 60s, tournaments could be organized outdoors. However, now basketball games are played only in closed areas.
Site marking
- limit lines. Pass along the entire perimeter of the site (2 short front lines and 2 long side lines).
- Central line. It is drawn from one side line to another and at the same time it is parallel to the front lines.
- The central zone is a circle (radius 1.80 m) and is located exactly in the center of the basketball field.
- Three-point lines are semi-circles with a radius of 6.75 m, drawn to the intersection with parallel (front) lines.
- Free throw lines. The free-throw line is drawn 3.60 m long parallel to each end line so that its far edge is located at a distance of 5.80 meters from the inside edge of the end line, and its middle is on an imaginary line connecting the midpoints of both end lines.
Basketball
The basketball is spherical, painted an approved shade of orange, and has a pattern of eight inlays and black stitching.
| Basketball size | Circumference, mm | Weight, g |
| Size 7 | 750-780 | 567-650 |
| Size 6 | 720-740 | 500-540 |
| Size 5 | 690-710 | 470-500 |
| Size 3 | 560-580 | 300-330 |
Basketball hoop and backboard dimensions
The height of the basketball hoop from the floor level is 3.
05 meters (standard). The diameter of the basketball hoop ranges from 45 cm to 45.7 cm. The ring itself must be painted bright orange. A special net with a length of 40-45 cm is attached to the ring. The basketball hoop is located at a distance of 15 cm from the backboard.
The shield to which the ring is attached also has a number of important parameters. Basketball backboard size: width - 1.8 m, height - 1.05 m. Modern basketball backboards are made of tempered glass.
Refereeing in basketball
At the basketball game there are:
- senior judge and judge;
- timekeeper;
- secretary;
- assistant secretary;
- operator 30 seconds.
Judge uniform:
- gray shirt;
- long black trousers;
- black basketball shoes.
Basketball Federation
- International Basketball Federation (FR. Fédération Internationale de Basketball, FIBA).
