A rundown is the plan for the show, written down one segment at a time. Without one, the producer knows what's next, the announcer guesses and the graphics operator finds out on air. With one, everyone on headset is working from the same page. This guide covers what columns to use, how to time a live game you can't control, a sample rundown for a high school game and how to get it to the crew.
What a rundown is for
A live sports broadcast has two kinds of time. Fixed segments are the ones you control: the pregame open, the lineups, halftime, the postgame wrap. Game time is the part you don't: you can't know when the next timeout comes or when overtime starts.
A good sports rundown times the fixed segments to the second and anchors everything else to game events. "Sponsor break 1" isn't at 7:42 p.m. It's "at the end of the first quarter." That's how the producer and talent stay in sync when the game runs fast or slow.
The columns to include
Keep it to columns people will actually read during a show:
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Segment | A number or short code, so the producer can call "standby segment 6." |
| Title | What the segment is: "Open," "Starting lineups," "Halftime stats." |
| Length | Planned duration for fixed segments. Leave game segments open. |
| Game clock | The trigger: "End Q1," "Halftime," "Final." |
| Video | Which camera, scene or playback: "Cam 1 wide," "Sponsor pod." |
| Audio | Who is talking, music beds, ad audio: "PBP + color on," "Music under." |
| Graphics | What goes on screen: scorebug, lower third, full-screen scoreboard. |
| Notes | Sponsor reads, names to pronounce, reminders. |
Color-code rows by type: one color for sponsor breaks, one for live game, one for fixed talent segments. In a dim press box, a director can find the next break at a glance.
A sample high school game rundown
Here's a rundown for a high school football game with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff and a 30-minute pregame stream. Adjust the triggers for your sport's real stoppages: basketball has timeouts and quarter breaks, volleyball has set breaks, baseball has half-inning changes.
| Seg | Title | Length | Game clock | Video | Audio | Graphics | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pregame hold | 15:00 | 6:30 p.m. | Wide field shot | Music | Title card, countdown | Stream live, check on a phone |
| 2 | Open | 1:00 | 6:45 p.m. | Cam 1 wide | PBP on | Title card with records | Welcome, matchup, presenting sponsor |
| 3 | Keys to the game | 3:00 | 6:46 p.m. | Cam 1 | PBP + color | Keys graphic | Coach quotes from the week |
| 4 | Starting lineups | 3:00 | 6:49 p.m. | Cam 1 | PBP + color | Lineups, offense then defense | Check names with both coaches first |
| 5 | Sponsor break | 1:00 | 6:52 p.m. | Sponsor pod | Ad audio | None | 60-second pod |
| 6 | Anthem and coin toss | Open | Before kickoff | Cam 1 | Field audio only | Scorebug off | Talent quiet for the anthem |
| 7 | First quarter | Open | Kickoff | Cam 1 | PBP + color | Scorebug | Touchdown graphics on scores |
| 8 | Sponsor break | 1:00 | End Q1 | Sponsor pod | Ad audio | Scoreboard | Return before the snap |
| 9 | Second quarter | Open | Start Q2 | Cam 1 | PBP + color | Scorebug, player stats | Read the second sponsor mention |
| 10 | Halftime | About 15:00 | Halftime | Cam 1, sponsor pods | PBP + color, ad audio | Halftime stats | Two pods, recap, band if cleared |
| 11 | Second half | Open | Kickoff | Cam 1 | PBP + color | Scorebug | Break at end of Q3 |
| 12 | Final and wrap | 3:00 | Final | Cam 1 | PBP + color | Final scoreboard | Thank sponsors, next game date |
Before you stream any school game, confirm the rights with your athletic director or state association. Our streaming rights guide explains why, and the rules can affect what you're allowed to play at halftime, like the band's music.
Timing the parts you can't control
- Anchor breaks to stoppages, not the clock. In football that's the end of the first and third quarters, halftime and longer timeouts. In basketball, timeouts and quarter breaks. Check the real break windows for your sport and league.
- Know how long each break really is. Time the quarter break at your venue once. If it's 90 seconds, a 60-second pod fits. A 120-second pod doesn't.
- Plan optional segments. Mark a few rows as "if time": a player bio, a sponsor feature, a stat graphic. The producer drops them when the game moves fast.
- Plan for overtime. Add a row for it, even if you rarely need it, so nobody improvises the sponsor read.
- Back-time the end. If the platform or the venue gives you a hard out, work backward from it and know which segments you'll cut.
Write it with the people who use it
Build the first draft with the producer and director, then walk it through with talent and the graphics operator. The announcer will tell you which sponsor reads they need written out. The graphics operator will tell you a lineup graphic takes longer to set up than you think. Once one game's rundown works, duplicate it for the next game and change only what's different: opponent, sponsors, lineups.
If your graphics come from ScoreCastr, name the graphics column after the actual graphics, so the operator knows exactly what to show: scorebug, title card, lineups, halftime stats, final scoreboard. If breaks run through CommercialCue, write the break length (30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds) in the length column so the operator taps the right one. Our guide to running sponsor commercials covers breaks in more depth.
Build and share it in CrewdUp
A spreadsheet works for a single game. For a season, CrewdUp rundowns (Starter and up) have the same columns: segment, title, length, game clock, video, audio, graphics and notes, with row colors. You can duplicate a rundown and drag rows to reorder them, then download it as a PDF to print for the booth.
When the rundown is linked to an event, it's attached to that event's tech book email, so the crew gets the show plan and the logistics together. See what to put in a production tech book.
Rundown checklist
- Every segment from the pregame hold to the sign-off has a row.
- Fixed segments have a length. Game segments have a trigger.
- Every sponsor break has a length that fits the real stoppage.
- Sponsor reads and hard-to-say names are written out in notes.
- Optional segments are marked, and overtime has a row.
- Talent and the graphics operator have reviewed it.
- The final version is sent to the crew and printed for the booth.