A “clean sheet” is when a sports team prevents their opponents from scoring. It’s more likely in low-scoring sports like soccer and ice hockey. The term “shutout” is used in American English. The origin of the term is unknown, but it may come from scores being written on paper. Keeping a clean sheet depends on the nature of the game and the two sides. It’s a mark of distinction for goalkeepers but rarely applied to defenders. Clean sheets are less likely in rugby and American football, but it’s been done in basketball, where maintaining a clean sheet may not always be a good thing.
A “clean sheet” occurs when a sports team manages to prevent its opponents from scoring goals or points during a match. In a scoreless draw, it is possible for both teams involved to keep a clean sheet. The idea is most commonly expressed as “shutout” in American English, a term not used in countries like Great Britain. Stoppages are more likely in some sports than others.
The exact origin is unknown, but it is thought to come from a time when scores were written on pieces of paper. If a team fails to score, their piece of paper will be empty. Since the paper is rectangular and white, it would look like freshly washed or cleaned paper.
The likelihood of such a miss occurring varies from sport to sport and from skill level to skill level. Professional teams in high scoring sports like rugby and basketball are extremely unlikely to go to a game without scoring. In low-scoring sports like ice hockey and especially soccer, it’s more likely. This is because teams can cancel each other out defensively.
Nil draws and matches in which only one team scores are a regular occurrence in football. This includes games at the highest level, including World Cup Finals. In 1994 in America, Italy and Brazil drew 0-0 before the match was decided on penalties. Spain won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and Brazil the 2002 World Cup in Korea keeping clean sheets.
The level of success in keeping a soccer clean sheet depends on the nature of the game and on the two sides. It is possible that one team will rarely be challenged defensively, yet still concede a goal while another team spends most of the game defending, yet somehow keeps their opponents out. A “clean sheet” is a mark of distinction for a goalkeeper, but is rarely applied, as a statistic, to defenders who are measured on passes and tackles.
A “clean sheet” is less likely in the ruge in American football. There have been disruptions in rugby union, including some rare 0-0 draws. An example occurred in the 2010 Premiership in England when eventual champions, Saracens beat Leeds 39-0. The longest streak in American football is 52, set between 1942 and 1949 by the Fighting Tigers of Bedford County Training School in Shelbyville, Tennessee.
Earning this distinction is nearly impossible in basketball, but it’s been done. Most of the shutouts occurred in girls high school games. In one example, a Texas team beat a local rival 100-0. Instead of celebrating, the victorious school fired its coach for not being a Christian in allowing the game to be so one-sided. In this case, maintaining a “clean sheet” is not always a good thing.
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