How to Write a Quarterback Stat Line in AP Style

AP style is a standardized method of writing for news stories that is adhered to by members of The Associated Press. Many other reporters, news organizations and freelance writing professionals also use AP style to provide a uniformity in their writing. When reporting a football game, standardized abbreviations under this style are used to note the statistics of the quarterback in the box score.

Instructions

    • 1

      Write the player's last name in the leftmost column. If two players have the same name, place the first initial followed by a period after the last name. For example, if Joe Smith is playing against Mike Smith, the two columns would read:

      Smith J.

      Smith M.

      Note that the quarterback for the visiting team is written above the quarterback for the home team.

    • 2

      Add the completions vs. attempts statistic. One of the major stats is how many completions the quarterback made when throwing the football versus how many attempts he made over the course of the game. The abbreviation for completion is "CP" and attempts is "AT." When written on the line, a forward slash is placed in between, such as:

      CP/AT

      Under each abbreviation enter the corresponding number separated by a forward slash. For example, if the quarterback made 10 completions out of 20 attempts it would read:

      CP/AT

      10/20

    • 3

      Add the number of yards in the next column to the right. The abbreviation for yards is "YDS." For example, if the quarterback threw for 200 yards, it would read:

      YDS

      200

    • 4

      Add the number of touchdowns the quarterback threw for during the game. Note this is not the total number of touchdowns. Touchdowns scored running or by special teams are not included. For example, if the team scored six touchdown, but only four were thrown by the quarterback, only four would be included in the quarterback line. The abbreviation for touchdowns is "TD." Using the example:

      TD

      4

    • 5

      Add the number of interceptions the quarterback threw during the game. Note this does not include fumbles that the quarterback might have made. For example, if the quarterback threw two interceptions and fumbled one snap, the line only reflects the interceptions. The abbreviation for interceptions is "INT." Citing the example, it would read:

      INT

      2