Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
a. (context US English) Describing a sports commentary in which a commentator describes every action in some detail as it occurs, often assisted by a second commentator who provides background information and other comments n. (lb en US) A detailed description or analysis of sporting events as they occur in succession, one play at a time.
Usage examples of "play-by-play".
Along with all the usual data, these poorly paid people recorded play-by-play information about the games that had never before been systematically collected: the pitch count at the end of at bats, pitch types and locations, the direction and distance of batted balls.
The life of a sandhog tunneling under a river can be fascinating until you have to listen to a play-by-play of every shovel load of muck.
Flickering chutes of lamplight illuminated the ground in front of the huts, and as Debora and Mingolla walked among them, he heard a radio tuned to the Armed Forces Network giving a play-by-play of a baseball game.
Flickering chutes of lamplight illuminated the ground in front of the huts, and as Debora and Mingolla walked among them, he heard a radio tuned to the Armed Forces network giving a play-by-play of a baseball game.
She could hear two or three kids arguing loudly in the background, plus a loud play-by-play of what sounded like Aussie Rules.
The place was lighted, though, and from the windows came the blaring sound of baseball play-by-play.
It wasn’t that Trammell was the kind of guy who regaled the squad room with play-by-play details of a hot night, but he was usually forthcoming enough to at least give the lady a name.