Multlying staffs

MOS is 10.14.6 and Audacity is 2.1.1. After input from an LP when playing through and removing bad sounds, restarting the music again generates another staff. After about 3 or 4 restarts, since the cursor is always on the latest staff, the music begins and before the cursor can be moved upward, several bad sounds have been passed. Stopping and going back generates another staff. It is a case of "the hurrier I go the behinder I get

How do I keep these staffs from generating every time I stop to correct a bad sound and restart?

Thank you very much.

If you accidentally click on record (red circle) when you intended to play (green triangle), that will create a new track, (a new “staff”).

https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/transport_toolbar.html