Popping my football stat-keeping cherry tomorrow...

I would hope that the home team, booster club or someone would think it important enough to print programs to sell at the games. Even the smallest six-man schools I've covered did that and I've always been glad to contribute a dollar to whatever group was doingit.

 

I keep each quarter in a different color pen so I can easily count up how many yards/receptions/tackles/etc. happened in each quarter. "Joe Smith rushed for 75 yards tonight, 49 of which came in the third quarter on three carries."

 

Oh, and my advice to you if this truly is your first time keeping stats (and to any other rookies who lurk): You will get behind. The game moves fast, much faster than when you are watching from the couch. When you get behind - and you will - don't try to scramble and work backward. Just put a note next to that play and move on to the next. It's more important to get the next two or three plays right than try to catch up on what you missed. At the end of the quarter or timeout or something, go back to your note and try to fill in the gaps. If you can't fill in the gaps, don't worry.

Once more, with feeling: If you get behind, don't panic. Don't get flustered. Just focus on the next play.

 

Nerd.

 

http://www.ncaa.org/library/statistical/football_stats_manual/2007/2007_football_stats_manual.pdf

Download this to your laptop and devote whatever free time you have over the next few days to studying it. You'd be surprised how many goofy scenarios covered herein will come up during the season.

 

Oh, you have no idea. My gamers read like eighth-grade logic problems.

 

"If Safety A leaves Minnesota in the first quarter, and Linebacker B leaves Green Bay at 2:30, how many times has the Bears quarterback been sacked in Soldier Field by the end of the game?"

;D

 

If it's Grossman, I'll take the over.

 

Fantastic. And what Cadet said.

 

Yeah, and if the press box is in the corner of the stadium and you can't see shit...just make it up.

Or, better yet, sit in the stands. Hundreds of screaming idiots asking you how many yard Joe Schmoe has every five minutes won't get old and won't make it harder for you to do your job.

Appearance is everything. Appear to be professional...but it's not required if it makes you look like a homer.

:

 

be sure to write "jon smith rushed for about 75 yards on nearly 17 carries" just to cover your ass.

 

Yeah... be vague so you don't have to write corrections...