Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Realtime Sports API. Can't find what you're looking for? Contact us.
What is Realtime Sports API?
Realtime Sports API is a fast, reliable REST API that provides real-time sports data for NFL, college football, and 17+ sports. It offers live scores, play-by-play data, team information, athlete stats, and more. Perfect for building sports apps, betting platforms, fantasy sports solutions, and analytics dashboards.
How fast is the API?
Our API has sub-100ms average response time with 99.9% uptime SLA. We use edge caching and optimized database queries to ensure lightning-fast responses. Real-time data is updated within seconds of events occurring on the field.
What sports and leagues are covered?
We cover 17+ sports including NFL, College Football, NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, MLB, NHL, MLS, Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Tennis, Golf, MMA, Cricket, Rugby, and more. Over 50 leagues total with comprehensive data for each.
What data can I get from the API?
You can access live events, play-by-play data, scores, team information, athlete profiles and stats, penalties, officials, seasons, venues, and more. Our API provides comprehensive coverage of game state, historical data, and real-time updates.
How do I get started?
Sign up for a free account at realtimesportsapi.com/dashboard - no credit card required. You'll get an API key instantly and 125 free API calls per month. Check out our documentation at realtimesportsapi.com/api-docs for code examples and endpoint details.
What's included in the free plan?
The free plan includes 125 API calls per day, 1 request per second rate limit, access to all sports and leagues, full documentation, and community support. Perfect for testing, development, and small projects.
How does pricing work?
We offer a free tier with 125 calls/month, Starter at $12/month (10,000 calls/month), Pro at $49/month (50,000 calls/month), and Enterprise with unlimited calls. All paid plans include higher rate limits, webhooks, WebSocket support, and priority support. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time.
Do you offer webhooks?
Yes! Webhooks are available on Pro and Enterprise plans. You can receive real-time notifications for events like score changes, game status updates, new plays, and game completions. Webhooks include signature verification for security.
Do you support WebSockets?
Yes! WebSocket support is available on Pro and Enterprise plans. Connect to our WebSocket server for real-time streaming of live game data, scores, and play-by-play updates. Perfect for building live dashboards and real-time applications.
What authentication method do you use?
We use JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication. Include your API key in the Authorization header as 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'. API keys are generated automatically when you sign up and can be regenerated from your dashboard.
What happens if I exceed my rate limit?
If you exceed your daily or per-second rate limit, API requests will return a 429 Too Many Requests error. Limits reset daily at midnight UTC. We recommend upgrading to a higher tier if you consistently hit limits, or implementing request queuing in your application.
Is there rate limiting?
Yes, we have rate limits to ensure fair usage. Free tier: 125 calls/month, 1 call/second. Starter: 10,000 calls/month, 5 calls/second. Pro: 50,000 calls/month, 20 calls/second. Enterprise: Unlimited calls, 100+ calls/second. Admin users have unlimited access.
How accurate is the data?
Our data is sourced from official sports data providers and updated in real-time. We maintain 99.9% data accuracy and have automated systems to catch and correct any discrepancies. Data is validated before being served through our API.
Can I use this for commercial projects?
Yes! All plans allow commercial use. Free tier is great for testing and small projects. Paid plans are designed for production applications. Enterprise plans include custom SLA agreements and dedicated support for high-volume commercial use.
Do you have an SDK or client libraries?
We provide comprehensive REST API documentation with code examples in JavaScript, Python, cURL, and more. While we don't have official SDKs yet, our REST API is simple to integrate with any HTTP client. WebSocket clients can use standard WebSocket libraries.
What's the difference between webhooks and WebSockets?
Webhooks send HTTP POST requests to your server when events occur - perfect for server-to-server communication. WebSockets provide a persistent connection for real-time streaming - ideal for client applications and live dashboards. Both are available on Pro and Enterprise plans.
How do I handle errors?
Our API returns standard HTTP status codes (200 for success, 400 for bad requests, 401 for authentication errors, 429 for rate limits, 500 for server errors). All error responses include a JSON body with error details and suggested fixes. See our documentation for error handling examples.
Is there a sandbox or test environment?
The free tier serves as our sandbox - you can test all endpoints with real data using your 125 daily calls. All endpoints work the same across all tiers, so you can develop and test on the free tier before upgrading.
How do I upgrade my plan?
Log into your dashboard at realtimesportsapi.com/dashboard and click 'Upgrade Plan'. You'll be redirected to Stripe to complete payment. Your API key remains the same, and higher limits take effect immediately. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards through Stripe. Enterprise customers can arrange invoicing and annual billing. All payments are secure and processed through Stripe's PCI-compliant infrastructure.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes! You can cancel your subscription at any time from your dashboard. There are no long-term contracts or cancellation fees. You'll retain access until the end of your billing period, then revert to the free tier.
Do you offer refunds?
Yes, we offer a 7-day money-back guarantee on all paid plans. If you're not satisfied within the first 7 days, contact us for a full refund. No questions asked.
What kind of support do you provide?
Free tier users get community support via documentation and email. Starter and Pro plans include email support with 24-48 hour response time. Enterprise plans include priority support, dedicated account manager, and custom SLA agreements.
Is my data secure?
Absolutely. We use JWT authentication, HTTPS encryption for all API requests, rate limiting to prevent abuse, and follow industry best practices for data security. We never share your API usage data with third parties.
How do I integrate webhooks?
Create a webhook URL in your dashboard, select the events you want to receive (score changes, status updates, new plays, etc.), and provide your endpoint URL. We'll send HTTP POST requests with JSON payloads and include a signature header for verification. See our documentation for examples.
How do I connect to WebSockets?
First, get a WebSocket token from /api/websocket/auth using your API key. Then connect to our WebSocket server, authenticate with the token, and subscribe to events. See our documentation for complete JavaScript and Node.js examples.
What programming languages are supported?
Our REST API works with any programming language that can make HTTP requests - JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, Go, Java, C#, Swift, and more. We provide code examples for popular languages in our documentation.
Can I get historical data?
Yes! Our API provides access to current and past seasons. You can query events, plays, and stats for any season we have in our database. Historical data is available for all supported sports and leagues.
How often is data updated?
Live game data is updated in real-time, typically within seconds of events occurring. For live games, we poll for updates every few seconds. Webhooks and WebSockets provide instant notifications when events occur.
What's the best plan for my use case?
Free tier: Testing and small projects (<125 calls/month). Starter: Small apps and prototypes (up to 10K calls/month). Pro: Production apps and moderate traffic (up to 50K calls/month). Enterprise: High-volume applications, custom needs, and dedicated support.
Do you have an API status page?
We're working on a public status page. For now, you can check API health by calling our /api/ping endpoint. Enterprise customers receive proactive notifications about any service issues.
Can I use this for sports betting?
Yes. We provide live odds (spread, moneyline, over/under) via the API, odds history for line movement and closing lines, and real-time updates via webhooks (event.odds_change) and WebSockets (event_odds_change). You can request odds on single events or in bulk on live events, league events, and season schedule with includeOdds=true. See our Betting & Odds section in the documentation for details. Please ensure compliance with local gambling regulations.
Can I use this for fantasy sports?
Absolutely! Our API is perfect for fantasy sports applications. Get real-time player stats, game scores, and play-by-play data to power your fantasy platform. Many fantasy sports apps use our API.
Ready to Get Started?
Join 1,000+ developers using our API. Start with 125 free calls per day.