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.

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 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=) 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=) 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=) Result: Season stats by category with value, rank, and per-game averages 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: 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