FOOTBALL PLAY-BY-PLAY

  Photo copyright New England Patriots

Football is the most complicated sport, in my opinion, to broadcast because of the sheer technical nature of the game. There are many complex formations and processes associated with the game. But it is a very enjoyable sport to broadcast. Football basics include down and distance, time remaining, score, ball carrier, and ball tackler.

When a play starts, locate where the important players are. On offense, who is the wideout? Is he wide on the left or the right? Who is in the slot? Who are the backs? What type of formation are they using? I? Wishbone? Split backfield? Check the defense. Are they in a 3-4 or a 4-3? Are they showing blitz? Are they playing man to man or zone?

Calling the play is fairly straightforward. Describe what the quarterback does with the ball, who made the tackle on defense, and how much yardage, if any, was gained on the play. ALWAYS RESET THE DOWN AND DISTANCE PRIOR TO EACH PLAY. Recite the score and time remaining as often as possible. It's better to err on the side of too much rather than too little. On field goals, provide the distance of the attempted kick. Is the kick good? If not, is it wide left or wide right? Was it blocked?