Shutout
Encyclopedia
In team sports, a shutout (a clean sheet in association football) refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball
.
Shutouts are usually seen as a result of effective defensive play even though a weak opposing offense may be as much to blame. Some sports credit individual players, particularly goalkeeper
s and starting pitcher
s, with shutouts and keep track of them as statistics; others do not.
, a shutout (denoted statistically as ShO or SHO) refers to the act by which a single pitcher
pitches a complete game
and does not allow the opposing team to score a run
. If two or more pitchers combine to complete this act, no pitcher will be awarded a shutout, although the team itself can be said to have “shut out” the opposing team.
The all-time career leader in shutouts is Walter Johnson
, who pitched for the Washington Senators
from 1907–1927. He accumulated 110 shutouts, which is 20 more than second placed Grover Cleveland Alexander
. The most shutouts recorded in one season was 16, which was a feat accomplished by both Grover Alexander (1916) and George Bradley
(1876). These records are considered among the most secure records in baseball, as pitchers today rarely earn more than one or two shutouts per season with a heavy emphasis on pitch count
and relief pitching
. Complete games themselves have also become rare among starting pitcher
s. The current active leader in shutouts is Roy Halladay
of the Philadelphia Phillies
. Pitching in his thirteenth season, he has accumulated only 19 shutouts, which ranks him as tied for 288th among the all-time leaders in shutouts. Only four pitchers whose entire careers were in the post-1920 live-ball era
threw as many as 60 career shutouts, with Warren Spahn
leading those pitchers with 63.
, a shutout (SO) is credited to a goaltender
who successfully stops the other team from scoring during the entire game. A shutout may be shared between two goaltenders, but will not be listed in either of their individual statistics. The record holder for most regular-season career shutouts in the National Hockey League
is Martin Brodeur
with 116 (see the all-time regular season shutout leaders). The modern-day record for a team being shut out in a season is held by the Columbus Blue Jackets
at sixteen, during the 2006-2007 NHL season.
In the event a shutout happens while using several goaltenders, the shutout will be credited to the team who shut out the opponent; however, no single goaltender will be awarded the shutout. It has happened several times in NHL history, including:
. It can be attributed to the whole team, the defence or just the goalkeeper
when they play an entire match without conceding a goal.
The term first appeared in the 1930s. Sports reporters of the era used separate pieces of paper to record the different statistical details of a game. If one team did not allow a goal, then that team's "details of goals conceded" page would appear blank, leaving a clean sheet. Because association football is a relatively low-scoring game, it is common for one team, or even both teams, to score no goals.
is a fairly uncommon occurrence. Keeping an opponent scoreless in American Football requires a team's defense to be able to consistently shut down both pass and run offenses over the course of a game. The difficulty of completing a shutout is further compounded by the relatively numerous ways a team can score in the game. For example, teams can easily (and often do) attempt field goals, which have a high rate of success. The range of NFL caliber kickers makes it easy for a team with an incompetent offense to get within fifty yards of the goalposts and attempt a kick. In the 2000s there were 79 shutouts in 1,168 regular-season games, for an average of only one shutout for every 15 games.
Shelbyville
Tennessee's Bedford County Training School Fighting Tigers recorded 52 consecutive shutouts from 1942 to 1949, a record for an American high school football team. The second longest streak is 18.http://www.usafootball.com/pages/amateur
or rugby league
, but they do happen. In fact, the 2005 Gillette Rugby League Tri-Nations
final was the first time that Australia
had been 'nilled' since 1981.
The term "shutout" is not in common usage in European sport, and thus is not applied to European rugby, and there is no alternative term for the occurrence of a team achieving a no score, except to say that the team scored "nil". For example, the December 2006 Magners League
match between Munster
and Connacht
ended 13–0 to Munster; it was, therefore, said that Munster won "thirteen-nil."
Generally, a defensively well-disciplined team, as well as behaviourally (thereby not giving away penalty kicks), is most likely to not give away scores. Although this will also occur if there is a significant gulf in class between the two teams, for example, when Scotland
beat Spain
(who were playing in their only Rugby World Cup) 48–0 in the 1999 Rugby World Cup
, or when Australia beat Namibia 142–0 in the 2003 Rugby World Cup
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
Shutouts are usually seen as a result of effective defensive play even though a weak opposing offense may be as much to blame. Some sports credit individual players, particularly goalkeeper
Goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, a goalkeeper is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by intercepting shots at goal...
s and starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
s, with shutouts and keep track of them as statistics; others do not.
Baseball
In Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, a shutout (denoted statistically as ShO or SHO) refers to the act by which a single pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
pitches a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
and does not allow the opposing team to score a run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
. If two or more pitchers combine to complete this act, no pitcher will be awarded a shutout, although the team itself can be said to have “shut out” the opposing team.
The all-time career leader in shutouts is Walter Johnson
Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Washington Senators...
, who pitched for the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
from 1907–1927. He accumulated 110 shutouts, which is 20 more than second placed Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander , nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938.-Career:Alexander was born in Elba, Nebraska, one of thirteen...
. The most shutouts recorded in one season was 16, which was a feat accomplished by both Grover Alexander (1916) and George Bradley
George Bradley
George Washington Bradley , nicknamed "Grin", was an American Major League Baseball player who was a pitcher and infielder. He was 5'10.5" and weighed 175 lbs. Bradley was born in Reading, Pennsylvania.-Baseball career:...
(1876). These records are considered among the most secure records in baseball, as pitchers today rarely earn more than one or two shutouts per season with a heavy emphasis on pitch count
Pitch count
In baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher in a game.Pitch counts are especially a concern for young pitchers, pitchers recovering from injury, or pitchers who have a history of injuries. The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina...
and relief pitching
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. Complete games themselves have also become rare among starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
s. The current active leader in shutouts is Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. Pitching in his thirteenth season, he has accumulated only 19 shutouts, which ranks him as tied for 288th among the all-time leaders in shutouts. Only four pitchers whose entire careers were in the post-1920 live-ball era
Live-ball era
The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in , following the dead-ball era. During that year offensive statistics rose dramatically in what would be mistakenly attributed to the introduction of a new "lively" ball...
threw as many as 60 career shutouts, with Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
leading those pitchers with 63.
Ice hockey
In ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, a shutout (SO) is credited to a goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
who successfully stops the other team from scoring during the entire game. A shutout may be shared between two goaltenders, but will not be listed in either of their individual statistics. The record holder for most regular-season career shutouts in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
is Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
with 116 (see the all-time regular season shutout leaders). The modern-day record for a team being shut out in a season is held by the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
at sixteen, during the 2006-2007 NHL season.
In the event a shutout happens while using several goaltenders, the shutout will be credited to the team who shut out the opponent; however, no single goaltender will be awarded the shutout. It has happened several times in NHL history, including:
- During the 1982-83 Washington Capitals season, the Washington CapitalsWashington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
and their goalies Al JensenAl JensenAllan Raymond Jensen is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender.Selected 31st overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft, Jensen only played one game for the Red Wings before he was traded to the Washington Capitals in July 1981 in exchange for Mark Lofthouse...
and Pat RigginPat RigginPatrick Michael Riggin is a retired former National Hockey League goaltender who played for the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, as well as the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association...
had shared a shutout. - December 8, 2001: the Mighty Ducks of AnaheimAnaheim DucksThe Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
won 4-0 over the Minnesota WildMinnesota WildThe Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
with Jean-Sébastien GiguèreJean-Sébastien GiguèreJean-Sébastien Giguère is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Verdun Collège Français and Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , where he was drafted 13th...
and later, Steve Shields keeping the net. - November 23, 2006: the Nashville PredatorsNashville PredatorsThe Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
won 6-0 over the Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
with Tomas VokounTomas VokounTomáš Vokoun is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
who left the game injured. He was replaced by Chris Mason who completed the job. - December 12, 2007: the Ottawa SenatorsOttawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
won 6-0 over the Carolina HurricanesCarolina HurricanesThe Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
with Ray EmeryRay EmeryRay Emery , often nicknamed Razor or Sugar Ray, is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, currently with the Chicago Blackhawks. He formerly played for the Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers, and the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League and Atlant Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey...
who left the game injured after making one save. He was replaced by Martin GerberMartin GerberMartin Gerber is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Växjö Lakers Hockey of the Elitserien...
who finished off the other 31 saves. - December 1, 2009: the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
won 3-0 over the Montreal CanadiensMontreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
with Jonas GustavssonJonas GustavssonJonas Gustavsson , popularly nicknamed The Monster due to his stature, is a Swedish ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Swedish Jonas...
who left the game after the first period because of heart problems. He was replaced by Joey MacDonaldJoey MacDonaldJoseph MacDonald is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender in the Detroit Red Wings organization who currently plays with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League . He has previously played for the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, and the Toronto Maple Leafs...
who played the last two periods. - February 2, 2011: the Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
won 3-0 over the New York IslandersNew York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
with Brent JohnsonBrent JohnsonBrent Johnson is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
who left the game after instigating a fight with Islanders' goalie Rick DiPietroRick DiPietroRick DiPietro, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . He was the first overall selection by the Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft....
with 17 seconds left in the third period. Johnson was replaced by goaltender Marc-Andre FleuryMarc-Andre FleuryMarc-André Fleury is a French Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
.
Association football
In association football, a shutout is known as a clean sheet outside of North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It can be attributed to the whole team, the defence or just the goalkeeper
Goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, a goalkeeper is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by intercepting shots at goal...
when they play an entire match without conceding a goal.
The term first appeared in the 1930s. Sports reporters of the era used separate pieces of paper to record the different statistical details of a game. If one team did not allow a goal, then that team's "details of goals conceded" page would appear blank, leaving a clean sheet. Because association football is a relatively low-scoring game, it is common for one team, or even both teams, to score no goals.
American football
A shutout in American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
is a fairly uncommon occurrence. Keeping an opponent scoreless in American Football requires a team's defense to be able to consistently shut down both pass and run offenses over the course of a game. The difficulty of completing a shutout is further compounded by the relatively numerous ways a team can score in the game. For example, teams can easily (and often do) attempt field goals, which have a high rate of success. The range of NFL caliber kickers makes it easy for a team with an incompetent offense to get within fifty yards of the goalposts and attempt a kick. In the 2000s there were 79 shutouts in 1,168 regular-season games, for an average of only one shutout for every 15 games.
Shelbyville
Shelbyville, Tennessee
Shelbyville is a city in Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. It had a local population of 16,105 residents at the 2000 census. Shelbyville, the county seat of Bedford County, was laid out in 1810 and incorporated in 1819...
Tennessee's Bedford County Training School Fighting Tigers recorded 52 consecutive shutouts from 1942 to 1949, a record for an American high school football team. The second longest streak is 18.http://www.usafootball.com/pages/amateur
Rugby
Shutouts are not common in either rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
or rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, but they do happen. In fact, the 2005 Gillette Rugby League Tri-Nations
Rugby League Tri-Nations
The Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
final was the first time that Australia
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
had been 'nilled' since 1981.
The term "shutout" is not in common usage in European sport, and thus is not applied to European rugby, and there is no alternative term for the occurrence of a team achieving a no score, except to say that the team scored "nil". For example, the December 2006 Magners League
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
match between Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
and Connacht
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...
ended 13–0 to Munster; it was, therefore, said that Munster won "thirteen-nil."
Generally, a defensively well-disciplined team, as well as behaviourally (thereby not giving away penalty kicks), is most likely to not give away scores. Although this will also occur if there is a significant gulf in class between the two teams, for example, when Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
beat Spain
Spain national rugby union team
The Spain national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Spain, representing them at rugby union. Spain have been playing rugby since the late 1920s, playing their first international against Italy in 1929. They have qualified for one Rugby World Cup, in 1999 where they were pooled with...
(who were playing in their only Rugby World Cup) 48–0 in the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
, or when Australia beat Namibia 142–0 in the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
.