View source for Shutout

{{Short description|Game in which one team does not score}}
{{other uses|Shut Out (disambiguation)}}
{{distinguish|Penalty shootout}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2011}}
In team sports, a '''shutout''' ([[North American English|US]]) or '''clean sheet''' ([[Commonwealth English|UK]]) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. 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.
==American football==
Shutouts in [[American football]] are uncommon. 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 compounded by the many ways a team can score in the game. For example, teams can attempt field goals, which have a high rate of success. The range of NFL caliber kickers makes it possible for a team with a weak offense to get [[field goal range|close enough (within 50 yards) to the goalposts]] and kick a field goal. Of 2,544 regular season NFL games from 2000–2009, 89 (3.5%) were shutouts.
There are at least five instances in American football in which a team had been shut out throughout an entire season, and four in which a team has shut out all of their opponents in the season (the longest of these being the ten-game [[perfect season]] in which the 1933 [[Providence Huskies]] did not concede a single point).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.semiprofootball.org/minor/records/teampnts.htm|title=Semi-pro Football / Minor League Football - Team Points Records|website=www.semiprofootball.org}}</ref>
In college football, the Tennessee Volunteers hold the record for most consecutive shutout wins with 17. The streak started against Tennessee-Chattanooga on November 30, 1938 and ended with a 27–12 loss against Alabama on October 19, 1940. <ref>https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2399074-the-most-unbreakable-records-in-college-football#:~:text=10.,Most%20Consecutive%20Shutouts%20(Regular%20Season)&text=Tennessee's%2017%20consecutive%20regular%2Dseason,19%2C%201940.</ref>
The achievement of a shutout is much more difficult in [[Canadian football]], where scoring and offensive movement is generally more frequent and a [[single (football)|single point]] can be scored simply by [[Punt (gridiron football)|punting]] the ball from any point on the field into the end zone.
==Association football==
In [[association football]] and other sports with a [[goalkeeper]], the goalkeeper may be said to "keep a '''clean sheet'''" if they prevent their opponents from scoring during an entire match. Because football is a relatively low-scoring game, it is common for one team, or even both teams, to score no goals.<ref name=wg_cs>{{cite web|title=What Does it Mean to Have a "Clean Sheet"?|url=http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-it-mean-to-have-a-clean-sheet.htm|work=wiseGEEK|access-date=3 February 2014}}</ref> A theory as to the term's origin is that sports reporters 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. If a game ends with a final score of 0–0, both sides are considered to have kept a clean sheet.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wolves 0–0 Burnley: The pick of the stats|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cqn5vxvp95xo|access-date=2021-12-06|website=BBC Sport|date=December 2, 2021 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title='Phenomenal' Livi clean sheet record - Martindale|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/55872937|access-date=2021-12-06}}</ref>
==Baseball==
{{main|Shutout (baseball)}}
In [[Major League Baseball]], a shutout (denoted statistically as '''ShO''' or '''SHO'''<ref>{{cite web|last=MLB.com|author-link=MLB.com|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/baseball_basics/abbreviations.jsp|year=2010|title=Baseball Basics: Abbreviations|access-date=July 5, 2010}}</ref>) refers to the act by which a single [[pitcher]] pitches a [[complete game]] and does not allow the opposing team to score a [[Run (baseball)|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 only exception to this is when a pitcher enters a game before the opposing team scores a run or makes an out and then completes the game without allowing a run to score. That pitcher is then awarded a shutout, although not a complete game.
The all-time career leader in shutouts is [[Walter Johnson]], who pitched for the [[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]] from 1907 to 1927.  He accumulated 110 shutouts,<ref>{{cite web|last=Sports Reference LLC|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnswa01.shtml|year=2010|title=Walter Johnson at Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=July 5, 2010}}</ref> which is 20 more than second placed [[Grover Cleveland Alexander]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Sports Reference LLC|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alexape01.shtml|year=2010|title=Pete Alexander at Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=July 5, 2010}}</ref>  The most shutouts recorded in one season was 16, which was a feat accomplished by both Grover Alexander (1916) and [[George Bradley]] (1876).<ref>{{cite web|last=Sports Reference LLC|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SHO_leagues.shtml|year=2010|title=Yearly League Leaders & Records for Shutouts|access-date=July 5, 2010}}</ref>  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 pitcher|relief pitching]].  Complete games themselves have also become rare among [[starting pitcher]]s.  As of 2021, the current active leader in shutouts is [[Clayton Kershaw]] of the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], whose 15 shutouts ties him for 463rd all time. 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.<ref name=BaseballRefSHO>{{cite web|last=Sports Reference LLC|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SHO_career.shtml|year=2013|title=Career Leaders & Records for Shutouts|access-date=August 27, 2013}}</ref>
==Ice hockey==
In [[ice hockey]], a shutout ('''SO''') is credited to a [[goaltender]] who successfully stops the other team from scoring during the entire game. In regular season games, if the score is 0–0 with the game going to a penalty shootout, both goaltenders are credited with a shutout.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gisondi |first=Joe |author-link= |date=July 13, 2017 |title=Field Guide to Covering Sports |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jq0KDgAAQBAJ |location= |publisher= [[Sage Publications]]|page= |isbn=9781506315706}}</ref> 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]] (NHL) is [[Martin Brodeur]] with 125 (see the [[List of NHL statistical leaders#Regular season shutouts|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 16, during the [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07 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. This has happened several times in NHL history:
* On April 3, 1983, the [[Washington Capitals]] won 3–0 against the [[New York Rangers]] with [[Al Jensen]] in goals for the first two periods and [[Pat Riggin]] for the last period.<ref>{{cite web |title=New York Rangers at Washington Capitals Box Score — April 3, 1983 |url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/198304030WSH.html |website=Hockey-Reference.com |access-date=April 20, 2021}}</ref>
* On November 23, 2006, the [[Nashville Predators]] won 6–0 against the [[Vancouver Canucks]] with goaltender [[Tomáš Vokoun]] being replaced at the start of the third period by [[Chris Mason (ice hockey)|Chris Mason]] due to injury.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators Box Score — November 23, 2006 |url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/200611230NSH.html |website=Hockey-Reference.com |access-date=April 20, 2021}}</ref>
* On December 1, 2009, the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] won 3–0 against the [[Montreal Canadiens]]. [[Jonas Gustavsson]] started in goal but was replaced after the first period by [[Joey MacDonald]] because of a cardiac problem.<ref>{{cite web |title=Toronto Maple Leafs at Montreal Canadiens Box Score — December 1, 2009 |url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/200912010MTL.html |website=Hockey-Reference.com |access-date=April 20, 2021}}</ref>
* On March 26, 2013, the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] won 1–0 against the Montreal Canadiens with [[Marc-André Fleury]] starting the game and being replaced because of injury by Tomáš Vokoun for the third period.<ref>{{cite web |title=Montreal Canadiens at Pittsburgh Penguins Box Score — March 26, 2013 |url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/201303260PIT.html |website=Hockey-Reference.com |access-date=April 20, 2021}}</ref>
* On December 3, 2021, the [[New York Rangers]] won 1–0 against the [[San Jose Sharks]] after [[Igor Shesterkin]] was injured and replaced by [[Alexandar Georgiev]] in the third period.
* On March 10, 2024, the [[Edmonton Oilers]] won 4-0 against the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] after [[Calvin Pickard]] was replaced with [[Stuart Skinner]] for the last 1:16 of the second period and did not face a shot. Pickard then returned for the third period.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-10 |title=Pickard makes 41 saves, Oilers shut out Penguins {{!}} NHL.com |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/game-recaps/edmonton-oilers-pittsburgh-penguins-game-recap-march-10 |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=www.nhl.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Rugby==
Clean sheets are not common in either [[rugby union]] or [[rugby league|league]], since it is relatively simple to score a penalty kick. The 2005 Gillette [[2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations#Final 2|Rugby League Tri-Nations]] final was the first time that [[Australian national rugby league team|Australia]] had been "nilled" since 1981.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} There is no alternative term for the occurrence of a team failing to score, except to say that the team scored "nil" (or "zero" or "nothing" in North America). For example, the December 2006 [[Pro14|Celtic League]] match between [[Munster Rugby|Munster]] and [[Connacht Rugby|Connacht]] ended 13–0 to Munster;<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/munster/6204514.stm | work=BBC News | title=Munster 13–0 Connacht | date=December 3, 2006 | access-date=March 26, 2010}}</ref> it was, therefore, said that Munster won "thirteen–nil."
Recent examples of clean sheets in international rugby union include England vs Scotland in [[2014 Six Nations Championship|2014]], France vs Italy in [[2015 Six Nations Championship|2015]], France vs Argentina in [[2016 June rugby union tests|2016]], Scotland vs Italy in [[2017 Six Nations Championship|2017]], New Zealand vs South Africa in [[2017 Rugby Championship|2017]], New Zealand vs Australia in [[2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches|2019]], and Wales vs Italy in [[2020 Six Nations Championship|2020]].
Generally, a team that is well-disciplined defensively, as well as behaviorally (not giving away penalty kicks), is most likely to not concede scores. This may also occur if there is a significant difference in class between the two teams, for example, when [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]] beat [[Spain national rugby union team|Spain]] (who were playing in their only Rugby World Cup) 48–0 in the [[1999 Rugby World Cup]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldcupweb.com/WCrugby/1999.asp |title= World Cup Web 100% Unofficial|website=www.worldcupweb.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215234519/http://www.worldcupweb.com/WCrugby/1999.asp |archive-date=December 15, 2006}}</ref> or when Australia beat [[Namibia national rugby union team|Namibia]] 142–0 in the [[2003 Rugby World Cup]].
<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://silentbet.com/what-is-clean-sheet-in-football/|title=What is the Clean Sheet in Football / Soccer Betting - Definition|date=November 7, 2019}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Sports}}
* [[Whitewash (sport)|Whitewash]]
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==External links==
*[http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/PR/clsht.html Football (soccer) clean sheet statistics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060627180414/http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/PR/clsht.html |date=June 27, 2006 }}
[[Category:Terminology used in multiple sports]]
[[Category:Perfect scores in sports]]