I realize this is a very general question but there's not much on the topic to start.

First of all if anyone has any insight on writing a sport (american football) themed screenplay, I'm all ears.  My preliminary research didn't find much.    

Second and most importantly, I have a question that I've been struggling with.  When writing action for a screenplay where the action itself and the details involved don't really matter, and only the outcome how do you as the writer handle that situation.  For example if team A has to score and win in the end by 28 to 14, but how team a does so doesn't have any particular bearing on the story.   Do you show it to give the audience action?  The truly important part is the bus ride back, and the interplay between characters, but as a writer do you show the loss to show give it more meaning?  Any thoughts?  


Jaykur

If you just need to show the final score without anything actually involving the game, how bout doing an insert of the scoreboard?

I watch a lot of sports films and have even wrote one and asked this question about two years ago but it was probably cleaned out since.

The way you should do it as most good film do is montage it. Example quick cuts to key scenes of the game like a big snap and toss to a reciever. The scoreboard to show the score. One team celebrating and the other crushed.

I was once told to "highlight" the play and not actually go through every detail.

Like the film Remember The Titans it skipped through a lot of games but briefly shows us what we need to progress the story and get to where they want us. That is probably one of the best examples of how the industry does it.

Even The Longest Yard used this method but they wanted to highlight more intense on field action but at the end of the day they are quick cuts almost like you'd write a montage.

That's my opinion on the subject.

wesley thanks...  I'm going to read remember the titans, I hadn't thought of that.

I checked out Any Given Sunday, seems similar to what you're saying.  I was nervous the montage would be a cliche solution.  Thanks for your insight.

Jaykure