How to Report High School Wrestling Results to a Media Outlet

Let the rest of the community know how well your wrestling team is doing.

There are two main components to keep in mind when reporting high school wrestling matches to a media outlet. The first is accumulating all the information you will need from the match itself. Accurate notes, or the score book, are essential. The second is determining the way to disseminate the information timely and clearly. There are several ways to contact the media with the results of high school wrestling matches.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pen/pencil
• Score book
• Phone or fax numbers
• Email addresses

Instructions

1. Record the results from each individual bout. Make sure you have the name of both wrestlers and their teams. If a wrestling bout goes the distance, record the final score. Write down the time the bout ended and if it concluded with a pin, technical fall, injury default or disqualification.

2. Write down the final score, making doubly sure the score is correct. Nothing is official until the referee signs the book. Note the won/loss records for both teams.

3. Call, email or fax a media outlet as quickly as possible, especially if the match was held at night. Media outlets have deadlines and want the information as quickly as possible. You can usually find the email address of reporters under their byline, or you can call the media outlet and ask to be transferred to the sport's desk.

4. Provide the final score and the teams' records. For example: Smithville (3-0) 48, Jonesville (2-1) 10. The 48 and 10 are the scores for the teams. The numbers in parenthesis are their records.

5. Type (or say) the result of each individual bout, with the winner listed first. Here's another example using the above teams: Johnson (S) dec. Washington, 10-3. The (S) means Johnson is from Smithville. The "dec.'' means the match was decided by decision. The 10-3 is the score of the decision. There is no need to say what team Washington is from because it's obvious he's on the team from Jonesville. If the match ends with a pin, write: Johnson (S) pin Washington, 5:00. The 5:00 is the time of the pin. Other abbreviations are as follows: technical fall (T-F), injury default (inj. def.) and disqualification (DQ).

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you have all the names spelled correctly and the results recorded accurately.

References

• WV Mat: Overview of Wrestling Rules