Another soccer question (style)

[Smallpotatoes]

When making a reference to time, such as when a goal is scored, do you give the exact time in the specific half or which minute it happened in?
More and more I'm reading and hearing "in the 76th minute" instead of "35:40 of the second half" (assuming 40-minute halves in a high school game).
What is correct?

 

[Pastor]

I believe, based on all that I've read, it goes by the minute. So, based on 40' halves, the 35:40 of the second half would be the 76' mark.

Now, say a goal is scored in 2:20 of extra time, it wouldn't be listed as the 83' it would be listed as 80' (+3). And the same would be for the extra time of the first half 40' (+3).

 

[Billy Pritchard]

Since most of the fields I cover prep soccer at have scoreboards, I always refer to the exact time of the goal. Otherwise I use the minute style, but I try not to use both in the same the story so as to not confuse the reader ... wait, does anybody read prep soccer stories?

 

[lone star scribe]

In hs and college soccer, the clock stops on a goal, so it's an easy matter to use the exact time. The exact time is impractical in matches governed by FIFA rules because the clock doesn't stop. Good idea not to mix style in the same story, though, to avoid confusion. There's plenty to confuse most fans about soccer anyway.

 

[kingcreole]

I use the minute. It's a soccer thing, I guess.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Since most of the fields I cover prep soccer at have scoreboards, I always refer to the exact time of the goal.

At every prep soccer game I've ever covered, the official time is kept by the referee on the field, not by the scoreboard operator. So if you're putting the indicated time from the scoreboard in your story, you're giving your readers incorrect information.

 

[jay_christley]

In Connecticut, at least during the regular-season, there is an option.
I actually make it a point to ask the ref's before a game. Some like to keep it themselves. Sometimes they'd rather leave it up to the scoreboard -- strikes me as lazy, they just don't want the added pressure of figuring out injury time, etc. And sometimes if the scoreboard is unofficial, it will count down and stop at two minutes just to give people an idea of how much time is left.
The state finals are played in a minor league soccer stadium and there is actually a third official whose job it is to run the clock - ala football crews.

During the regular season, I prefer minutes because half the time the coaches/officials are guessing. If it's the ref, it could be when he looked down at his watch jogging back up the field.

 

[lone star scribe]

In Texas, if a stadium clock is available, it is the official time for a HS match, unless the referee has it shut off because of some malfunction. Refs always keep the time as a backup, because clocks can malfunction. (And if you look closely enough, you'll see that refs wear two watches. Can't be too careful.)

 

[Billy Pritchard]

Since most of the fields I cover prep soccer at have scoreboards, I always refer to the exact time of the goal.

At every prep soccer game I've ever covered, the official time is kept by the referee on the field, not by the scoreboard operator. So if you're putting the indicated time from the scoreboard in your story, you're giving your readers incorrect information.

I only hope they can recover from this tremendously harmful piece of misinformation.
Maybe I should start writing that "the scoreboard read 28:12 when the goal was scored." If you write it was scored in the 29th minute, how do you know that's accurate? Maybe it was in the 28th minute or 30th minute according to the officials.

 

[KP]

The official is supposed to report the goal scorer, any assist and time to someone along the sideline who has an official association form. Usually they give an exact time.

 

[jay_christley]

"supposed to" being the key.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

In Massachusetts, the referee keeps the time. If there's a scoreboard clock, it's unofficial and shut off with two minutes left in each half.
If there's no scoreboard, I usually try to bring a stopwatch just so I have a rough idea of where they're at in each half. I'm not worried about being balls-on accurate, but I do like to have some idea of how much time is left in a half.