Commentary notes template: how to build a one-page match sheet

Short answer: A one-page match sheet puts both teams side by side, home on the left and away on the right, with each player listed by shirt number, name, pronunciation and one line of context. Around the edges, add the match context, officials, storylines and fill material. Keep it to one page so every fact is a glance away while you're talking.

Commentators call it many things: a match sheet, spotting board, crib sheet or chart. The idea is the same. Here's how to lay one out, what to put on it, and a template you can copy.

Why one page?

Live, you have a second or two to find a name. If you have to turn a page or scroll, you've already missed the moment. One page forces you to choose what matters, and that choice is part of good preparation. Your full research can live elsewhere; the match sheet is the bit you actually use.

The layout

Most match sheets follow the same shape, usually in landscape:

Top strip: fixture, competition, venue, kick-off, officials, competition rules, kits.
Left half: home team.
Right half: away team.
Bottom strip (or margins): storylines, fill material, summariser questions.

Put the teams in the same order as they appear on screen or from your commentary position. If the home side attacks left to right in the first half, some commentators flip their sheet at half-time to match.

What goes in each player box

Keep each player to one or two lines:

No.	Name	Say it	Pos	Note
9	Surname, First name	phonetic spelling	CF	one line of context

The "note" column is where the value is: on loan from, back from injury, scored in this fixture last season, academy graduate, milestone appearance. Leave statistics you can read off a live feed out of the box.

Underneath each team, add:

Manager and time in the job
Form: last five results (e.g. W W D L W)
League position and what's at stake
Out: injuries and suspensions

Starters and substitutes

Build your sheet with the full squad two or three days out, then update it when the line-ups arrive about an hour before kick-off. Two common methods:

Print the full squad, then highlight the starting XI and circle the substitutes.
Prepare starters and bench as separate blocks, then rearrange quickly once the team sheet lands (easier on a laptop or tablet).

Either way, give every likely substitute a line of context so you have something ready when they come on.

Colour coding and symbols

A simple system makes the sheet faster to read. Pick one and keep it the same every week:

Highlight: starters
Star (★): main characters for today
Exclamation (!): time-sensitive fact to re-check on the day
Yellow dot: player one booking from a suspension
"PRON" or underline: a name you need to say carefully

During the match, many commentators also mark goals, cards and substitutions straight onto the sheet, so they always know who is on the pitch and who is on a yellow.

Storylines and fill material

Along the bottom, add:

Three to five match storylines: short and sayable in one breath
Five to ten fill items: the ground, fixture history, a rule people get wrong, a club story
Two or three summariser questions: open ones that invite a story

Copy-and-use template

FIXTURE: ____________ v ____________   COMP: ________  ROUND: ____
VENUE: ____________  KO: ____  REF: ________  ASSTS: ________ / ________
4TH: ________  VAR: ________  RULES: ET? Pens? Agg?  KITS: ______ / ______

HOME: ____________                      | AWAY: ____________
Mgr: ________ (since ____)              | Mgr: ________ (since ____)
Pos: ___  Form: _ _ _ _ _               | Pos: ___  Form: _ _ _ _ _
Out: ____________                       | Out: ____________
No | Name | Say it | Pos | Note          | No | Name | Say it | Pos | Note
1  |      |        | GK  |               | 1  |      |        | GK  |
.. (one row per squad player) ..        | ..
SUBS: ____________                      | SUBS: ____________

STORYLINES: 1) ______ 2) ______ 3) ______
FILL: ____________________________________________
SUMMARISER Qs: 1) ______ 2) ______
RE-CHECK ON THE DAY (!): ______________________________

Paper or screen?

Both work. Paper never crashes, never needs charging and is easy to scribble on, which is why many commentators still print. Screens make it easier to rearrange for the line-ups and to reuse player notes week to week. Some commentators prepare digitally and print the final version as a backup.

Saving time on the research

The match sheet is only as good as the research behind it. If you call regularly and building squads, form and storylines from scratch is eating your week, CoComms Packs give you a ready-made research pack for your fixture to copy onto your sheet, from £5 with your first pack free. For the full list of what that research should cover, see what goes in a football commentary research pack.

Frequently asked questions

What is a commentary match sheet? A one-page summary of both teams and the match context, laid out so a commentator can find any name or fact in a glance during a live broadcast.

What should be on a commentary notes template? Fixture details, officials, both squads with numbers, pronunciations, positions and a line of context, plus form, team news, storylines and fill material.

Should a match sheet be landscape or portrait? Landscape is most common, because it fits home and away teams side by side.

How do I handle the line-ups on my sheet? Build it with full squads in advance, then highlight starters and mark substitutes when the team sheets arrive about an hour before kick-off.

Is paper or digital better for commentary notes? Either works. Paper is reliable and easy to annotate; digital is easier to update and reuse. Many commentators use digital prep with a printed backup.

How much should I write for each player? One or two lines: number, name, pronunciation, position and a single piece of context. If it doesn't fit, it's too much for live use.

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