Babson College follows AP Style. Below, you’ll see a Babson-specific version of the AP sports guidelines:
All-America, All-American
Use All-American when referring specifically to an individual: All-American Breanna Stewart, or She is an All-American. Use All-America when referring to the Team: All-America team, or All-America selection.
all-star, All-Star, All-Star Game
Use uppercase All-Star only when referring to players who have been officially named All-Stars in a sport that refers to its best players each season as All-Stars.
athletic director
Use the singular athletic unless otherwise in a formal title.
backboard, backcourt, backfield, backhand, backspin, backstop, backstretch, backstroke
collective nouns
Team names such as the Jazz, the Magic, the Avalanche and the Thunder take plural verbs: The Magic are on a winning streak.
fractions
In general, follow the fractions entry in the Stylebook’s main section, writing fractions with two numerals separated by a forward slash: 1/2, 2/3 or 3/4. Do not use single fractional characters, which do not appear properly for some computer systems. For mixed numbers, separate the whole integer from the fraction with a space: J.J. Watt had 2 1/2 sacks, Matt Cain pitched 7 2/3 innings. In baseball, avoid using fractions to describe outings of less than an inning. Simply write: Craig Kimbrel got the last two outs for the save.
midcourt, midfield
NCAA®
Use trademark. As in 2017 NCAA® Division III Men’s Basketball National Champions. Also be specific about men’s or women’s teams.
nonconference No hyphen.
numerals
In general, follow the numerals entry in main section, spelling out one through nine in most uses and using figures for 10 or above. Use figures whenever preceding a unit of measure or points, as well as for team records or game numbers.
Some sample uses of numbers: first place; second quarter; 10th inning; a 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left; 3-of-8 shooting; he made 3 of 4; the 6-foot-5 player; the 6-5 tight end; the 5-yard line; Game 6; The final score was 21-14. The team won its fourth game in 10, the wide receiver had seven catches for 188 yards. Stafford was 8 for 18 for 200 yards and two touchdowns.
offseason No hyphen.
overtime, double overtime, triple overtime
playoff (n.) play off (v.)
postgame, pregame
postseason, preseason No hyphen.
racket
Not racquet, for the light bat used in tennis and badminton.
racquetball
record
Avoid the redundant new record.
right hand (n.) right-hander (n.) right-handed (adj.)
runner-up, runners-up
scores
Use figures exclusively, placing a hyphen between the totals of the winning and losing teams: The Reds defeated the Red Sox 4-3, the Giants scored a 12-6 football victory over the Cardinals, the golfer had a 5 on the first hole but finished with a 2-under-par score. Use a comma in this format: Boston 6, Baltimore
series
Best-of-seven series, best of seven. Hyphenate when used as a modifier with the number spelled out: best-of-seven. On its own, no hyphens in the term: The Red Sox and Phillies meet in a best of seven.
titles
Capitalize or use lowercase according to guidelines in titles in the AP Stylebook’s main section. Job descriptions, field positions, and informal titles are lowercase: coach John Calipari; forward Alex Morgan; general manager John Elway. Some other informal titles commonly used in sports include general manager, trainer, team doctor, manager, captain.
warmup (n.) warm up (v.)