No free style guide can provide the comprehensive guidance of an in-depth index of style rules.

The Ben Watanabe Sports Stylebook is not intended to stand alone, but to be a companion to The Associated Press Stylebook or whichever stylebook your outlet follows. Most entries found here do not appear in the AP Stylebook. Those that do may expand upon the AP’s style is some way.

In some cases, our style departs from the AP Stylebook guidelines. This is because this stylebook is specifically intended for a sports audience, whereas other stylebooks are intended for more general audiences.

For any cases in which the Ben Watanabe Sports Stylebook does not offer explicit style guidance, follow the AP Stylebook and the Merriam-Webster online dictionary.

Note that in entries, italicized text signifies the proper style, whereas quotation marks signify incorrect style.

If there is a term you can’t find here or in the AP Stylebook, please send us your feedback. You may end up helping a colleague in the future!