play-by-play

[ pley-bahy-pley ]

adjective

1. pertaining to or being a detailed account of each incident or act of an event, as in sports:

   a play-by-play broadcast of a baseball game.

noun

1. a detailed and sequential description of a sports contest or other event, as by a sportscaster, usually as it is taking place.

Word History and Origins

Origin of play-by-play¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Always the perfectionist, play-by-play announcer Joe Davis wonders if he got things right on his historic Freddie Freeman World Series grand slam call.

From Los Angeles Times

There were many moments during the debate where I was literally yelling at the screen or commenting and doing play-by-play, as I was grinning and nodding.

From Salon

Accustomed to doing play-by-plays, Gonzalez offers the following commentary on his perfect Sunday in L.A. when he’s not on the road.

From Los Angeles Times

“Oh my God, what is going on?” the now 23-year-old said via Zoom, recounting the events of that afternoon like a play-by-play commentator.

From Los Angeles Times

In the hot St. Louis summer evenings, I would lie listening to Jack Buck’s play-by-play of the Cardinals, my face turned toward the window where an oak provided both the shade and view I needed.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• detail
• explanation
• history
• narrative
• report
• story
• tale
• version

More About Play By Play

What does play-by-play mean?

A play-by-play is a running commentary on or a detailed summary of an event, used especially in sports.

Where does play-by-play come from?

Giving a play-by-play in sports is the act of relaying every detail of a game as it happens, each play (or “action in the game”) by play. The adverbial phrase emerges in the context of baseball as early as 1889, with its adjective form (e.g., play-by-play commentary) and noun form (a play-by-play) following in the early 1900s. A play-by-play announcer, or sports commentator, became an important position in sports journalism since the first voice broadcast of a baseball game in 1921.

In the 20th century, play-by-play sports commentary spread from radio to television to the internet and from baseball to other sports and contests, helping to popularize the term play-by-play as a colloquial one used for an analysis of various events, from concerts and parties to job interviews and first dates.

To comment on something play by play or give a play-a-play is now widely familiar in the popular lexicon. The 2004 romantic comedy 13 Going on 30 has a character casually telling another not to give someone a play-by-play, as just one instance, and a New Zealand games festival is called Play by Play.

How is play-by-play used in real life?

Outside of its still frequent use in sports and sports journalism, a play-by-play can either be asked for (Give me the play-by-play! or Tell me what happened, play by play) or given (Here’s the play-by-play). It typically relates to an exciting or dramatic social or personal event (e.g., how a marriage proposal unfolded).

On social media, live-tweeting or snapping (using Snapchat) an event, such as the Oscars or a political debate, is sometimes called or likened to play-by-play commentary.

As suggested in 13 Going on 30, a play-by-play isn’t always desirable, providing more information than may be needed or called for, and so the phrase is often used in negative constructions (Spare me the play-by-play and get to the point).

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.