AP style rules for the Super Bowl, Olympics and more

If you’re producing social media posts or writing pitches surrounding these and other sporting events, take these guidelines into consideration. They can help you perfect your copy.

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Crafting content for the Super Bowl and Olympics? Be mindful of trademark regulations—along with style conventions in your writing.

In a recent Twitter chat, Oskar Garcia, Associated Press assistant sports editor, shared several AP style rules that communicators should heed when creating copy for sporting events.

One rule in particular sparked a heated conversation:

One thing to note on the Super Bowl: Refer to it by the year played, not the Roman numeral. We’ll refer to this Eagles-Patriots game for years to come as the 2018 Super Bowl. #apstylechat

— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) January 24, 2018

The rule raised the hackles of many writers:

Nooooooo !!!!

— Wolf (@paulwolfer42) January 25, 2018

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