NFL Data

Before writing queries, consult references/api-reference.md for endpoints, ID conventions, and data shapes.

Setup

Before first use, check if the CLI is available:

which sports-skills || pip install sports-skills

If pip install fails (package not found or Python version error), install from GitHub:

pip install git+https://github.com/machina-sports/sports-skills.git

The package requires Python 3.10+. If your default Python is older, use a specific version:

python3 --version  # check version
# If < 3.10, try: python3.12 -m pip install sports-skills
# On macOS with Homebrew: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.12 -m pip install sports-skills

No API keys required.

For nflverse-backed commands (get_nflverse_*), install the NFL extra:

pip install sports-skills[nfl]

This installs nfl-data-py (or use nflreadpy if preferred). Parquet support (pyarrow) is also needed for most nflverse data beyond schedules.

Quick Start

Prefer the CLI — it avoids Python import path issues:

sports-skills nfl get_scoreboard
sports-skills nfl get_standings --season=2025
sports-skills nfl get_teams

Python SDK (alternative):

from sports_skills import nfl

scores = nfl.get_scoreboard({})
standings = nfl.get_standings({"params": {"season": "2025"}})

CRITICAL: Before Any Query

CRITICAL: Before calling any data endpoint, verify:

Season year is derived from the system prompt's currentDate — never hardcoded.
If only a team name is provided, call get_teams to resolve the team ID before using team-specific commands.

Choosing the Season

Derive the current year from the system prompt's date (e.g., currentDate: 2026-02-16 → current year is 2026).

If the user specifies a season, use it as-is.
If the user says "current", "this season", or doesn't specify: The NFL season runs September–February. If the current month is March–August, use season = current_year (upcoming season). If September–February, the active season started in the previous calendar year if you're in Jan/Feb, otherwise current year.

Commands

Command	Description
`get_scoreboard`	Live/recent NFL scores
`get_standings`	Standings by conference and division
`get_teams`	All 32 NFL teams
`get_team_roster`	Full roster for a team
`get_team_schedule`	Schedule for a specific team
`get_game_summary`	Detailed box score and scoring plays
`get_leaders`	NFL statistical leaders
`get_news`	NFL news articles
`get_play_by_play`	Full play-by-play for a game
`get_win_probability`	Win probability chart data
`get_schedule`	Season schedule by week
`get_injuries`	Injury reports across all teams
`get_transactions`	Recent transactions
`get_futures`	Futures/odds markets
`get_depth_chart`	Depth chart for a team
`get_team_stats`	Team statistical profile
`get_player_stats`	Player statistical profile
`get_nflverse_schedule`	nflverse-backed schedules/results table
`get_nflverse_weekly_rosters`	nflverse-backed weekly rosters
`get_nflverse_player_stats`	nflverse-backed normalized player stat rows
`get_nflverse_team_stats`	nflverse-backed normalized team stat rows
`get_nflverse_play_by_play`	nflverse-backed play-by-play rows

See references/api-reference.md for full parameter lists and return shapes.

Examples

Example 1: Today's scores User says: "What are today's NFL scores?" Actions:

Call get_scoreboard() Result: All live and recent NFL games with scores and status

Example 2: Conference standings User says: "Show me the AFC standings" Actions:

Derive season year from currentDate
Call get_standings(season=<derived_year>)
Filter results for AFC conference Result: AFC standings table with W-L-T, PCT, PF, PA per team

Example 3: Team roster User says: "Who's on the Chiefs roster?" Actions:

Call get_team_roster(team_id="12") Result: Full Chiefs roster with name, position, jersey number, height, weight

Example 4: Super Bowl box score User says: "How did the Super Bowl go?" Actions:

Call get_schedule(week=23) to find the Super Bowl event_id
Call get_game_summary(event_id=<id>) for full box score Result: Complete box score with passing/rushing/receiving stats and scoring plays

Example 5: Injury report User says: "Who's injured on the Chiefs?" Actions:

Call get_injuries()
Filter results for Kansas City Chiefs (team_id=12) Result: Chiefs injury list with player name, position, status, and injury type

Example 6: Player statistics User says: "Show me Patrick Mahomes' stats this season" Actions:

Derive season year from currentDate
Call get_player_stats(player_id="3139477", season_year=<derived_year>) Result: Season stats by category with value, rank, and per-game averages

Example 7: nflverse weekly rosters User says: "Give me the Week 1 Chiefs roster from the data table backend" Actions:

Derive season year from currentDate
Call get_nflverse_weekly_rosters(season=<derived_year>, week=1, team="KC") Result: Weekly roster rows normalized for team, player, position, jersey, and status

Example 8: nflverse play-by-play User says: "Pull Bills Week 3 play-by-play" Actions:

Derive season year from currentDate
Call get_nflverse_play_by_play(season=<derived_year>, week=3, team="BUF") Result: Play rows with game_id, down/distance, description, EPA, WP/WPA, and score state

Commands that DO NOT exist — never call these

~~get_odds~~ / ~~get_betting_odds~~ — not available. For prediction market odds, use the polymarket or kalshi skill.
~~search_teams~~ — does not exist. Use get_teams instead.
~~get_box_score~~ — does not exist. Use get_game_summary instead.
~~get_player_ratings~~ — does not exist. Use get_player_stats instead.

If a command is not listed in the Commands table above, it does not exist.

Error Handling

When a command fails, do not surface raw errors to the user. Instead:

Catch silently and try alternatives
If team name given instead of ID, use get_teams to find the ID first
Only report failure with a clean message after exhausting alternatives

Troubleshooting

Error: sports-skills command not found Cause: Package not installed Solution: Run pip install sports-skills. If not on PyPI, install from GitHub: pip install git+https://github.com/machina-sports/sports-skills.git

Error: nflverse backend unavailable Cause: Optional NFL backend extra not installed Solution: Install sports-skills[nfl] so the nflverse provider (nflreadpy or compatibility fallback) is available

Error: Team not found by ID Cause: Wrong or outdated ESPN team ID used Solution: Call get_teams to get the current list of all 32 NFL teams with their IDs

Error: No data returned for a future game Cause: ESPN only returns data for completed or in-progress games Solution: Use get_schedule to see upcoming game details; get_scoreboard only covers active/recent games

Error: Postseason week number returns no results Cause: Postseason uses unified week numbers (19-23) that differ from regular season Solution: Use week 19 for Wild Card, 20 for Divisional, 21 for Conference Championship, 23 for Super Bowl