Whitewash (sport)
Encyclopedia
A whitewash is an informal term in sport describing a game or series in which the losing person or team fails to score.
A whitewash may be in a single game where the loser fails to score any points or goals, or in a series where the loser fails to win a game. In the United States
, the former is more usually called a shutout
, while the latter is termed a sweep
(or alternatively a 'clean sweep').
It is not typically used for low-scoring games such as association football or baseball
, where a failure to score is not particularly rare; in football the winning team's goalkeeper is said to keep a clean sheet if they do not concede a goal, while in baseball the winner pitches a shutout.
, the term is used when one team wins all the matches played in a particular series. It does not matter if all the matches are played or not in that particular series.
when one team wins every single match in a particular series. There is also the term Grand Slam
, which applies specifically to the Six Nations Championship
and European tours by the southern hemisphere nations (the term whitewash here often refers to a team losing every match, which in a league format does not require that some other team wins every match). Some of the more recent notable rugby whitewashes are:
A whitewash may be in a single game where the loser fails to score any points or goals, or in a series where the loser fails to win a game. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the former is more usually called a shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout 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....
, while the latter is termed a sweep
Sweep
-Cleaning :* Chimney sweep* Street sweeper* Swept quartz, a cleaning of quartz crystal from alkali metal ions-Sports: * Sweep * Sweep , winning a five game series 3 games to none, or winning a seven game series 4 games to none; typically fans bring brooms to ballparks or ball courts in the final...
(or alternatively a 'clean sweep').
It is not typically used for low-scoring games such as association football or baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, where a failure to score is not particularly rare; in football the winning team's goalkeeper is said to keep a clean sheet if they do not concede a goal, while in baseball the winner pitches a shutout.
Cricket
In cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, the term is used when one team wins all the matches played in a particular series. It does not matter if all the matches are played or not in that particular series.
Rugby
The term whitewash is also used in rugbyRugby 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...
when one team wins every single match in a particular series. There is also the term Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
, which applies specifically to the Six Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
and European tours by the southern hemisphere nations (the term whitewash here often refers to a team losing every match, which in a league format does not require that some other team wins every match). Some of the more recent notable rugby whitewashes are:
- 2005 New Zealand in the tour by the British and Irish LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...