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

The Stanley Cup Final will mark the first time a major sports league airs games in ASL, with each game of the series between Edmonton and Florida featuring Deaf broadcasters doing play by play and color analysis.

From Seattle Times

“For us to be able to have this real-time coverage of play by play and color commentary in American Sign Language being called directly as opposed to a re-interpretation is really what the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community want,” said Kim Davis, the NHL’s senior executive VP of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs.

From Seattle Times

Schools are broadcasting games and letting students learn about cameras, video and doing play by play.

From Los Angeles Times

While playing an NHL video game from about age 10, he’d found himself doing play by play of what was on screen.

From Seattle Times

CNN, “Good Morning America,” The Times and the cluster of media that encompassed Vietnamese and Spanish-language outlets roamed around the state, reporting the play by play.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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