nfl-data

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]

On Python 3.10+ this installs nflreadpy (the preferred backend) plus pyarrow, which is needed for most nflverse data beyond schedules. On Python 3.9 it installs nfl-data-py instead, since nflreadpy requires 3.10+.

The nfl-data-py backend is a reduced fallback: it cannot serve get_nflverse_team_stats, which returns an explanatory error there. Use Python 3.10+ for full nflverse coverage.

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).