Football commentary prep – the complete checklist

Definitions used on this page

• Squad is the list of players registered for a team. It exists days before the match.
• Line-up (starting XI) is the eleven starting players plus named substitutes. It is published shortly before kick-off.
• Matchday squad is the line-up plus the substitutes named for this match.
• Talking point is a single, sayable fact or angle prepared for this match.
• Fill time is material for stoppages: injuries, VAR checks, delayed restarts.

Stage 1: Before you start (five to three days before)

• Check that the competition is covered. Will you get squads before kick-off and live events during the match? The live table at /coverage/football lists every competition with its status and measurement date. For competitions that are not covered, you build the player list by hand. See which football leagues LiveCast covers.
• Find the club media contacts for both teams, for pronunciations and late team news.
• Check the officials when they are announced: referee, assistants, fourth official and VAR.
• Note the context: league position, the stakes, the last meeting between the teams, cup or league rules that apply (extra time, penalties, aggregate scores over two legs).

Stage 2: Build the people list (three to two days before)

• Every player in both squads, with shirt number and position. Squad numbers in league football are fixed for the season, but national teams can change numbers from one window to the next, so check them again for international matches.
• Pronunciation of every name you are not sure about. Write it phonetically in your own notation.
• Ages and birthdays. A birthday during match week is a safe, easy line.
• Managers and coaching staff, with a note on how long they have been in the job.
• Star your likely main characters, usually five to eight per match.

Stage 3: Notes and talking points (two days to one day before)

• One or two lines per main character. Context, not statistics you can read live: "back from injury", "played for the opponent", "first season in the league".
• Write notes on the player, not the match, so they are there next time.
• Turn the best notes into talking points you can say in one breath. Prepare more than you need.
• Put a source on every fact: match data, the club, your notes, news, or an AI tool.
• Flag risky claims. Time-dependent ones ("top scorer", "unbeaten in ...") must be re-checked on the day. Negative ones ("has never scored against ...", "first since ...") only if you have checked the source.
• Know that statistics differ between sources. Two data sources usually agree on the score, goals, cards and substitutions, but numbers such as possession or clearances can differ because the sources define them differently. Say whose number it is, or use the ones sources agree on.

Stage 4: Fill time and expert questions (the day before)

• Five to ten fill-time items: the stadium, the history of the fixture, a rule viewers often misunderstand, a story about either club.
• Two or three open questions for your expert, ideally about something you expect to happen in the match.
• One line for each likely substitute, so you have something ready when they come on.

Stage 5: The last hour (line-ups confirmed)

• Compare the line-ups with your list. Move non-starters to the bench section; read the substitutes.
• Check the formation and who plays where. A player listed as a defender may start in midfield.
• Re-check time-dependent talking points.
• Read your three best talking points out loud once.
• Remove anything you have not checked.

During the match: what your screen should give you

Live, you need four things at a glance: the score and clock, who is on the pitch, who is on a yellow card, and how many substitutions each side has used. Everything else can wait for a stoppage.

How LiveCast does it

LiveCast keeps this checklist in one place, from the squad to the final whistle. The recorded football demo, Liverpool v Arsenal from the Premier League, shows each part on real match data.

• Before the match, the player list is filled from the squad where the competition is covered, sortable by number, name or position. It is labelled "Squad" until a line-up exists, so a squad never pretends to be a starting XI.
• Notes are your own, written on each person, and follow them to future broadcasts.
• Talking points carry a source label. Time-dependent and negative claims are marked "Unverified", and a name that is not in this match's squad is flagged "Not in squad".
• During the match, the pitch shows the players, goals, substitutions and cards, and the match strip shows who is on the pitch, who is on a yellow and how many substitutions have been used.

For the general workflow across sports, see how to prepare for a live sports commentary, and for the football screens, football in LiveCast.

FAQ