Push Feeds

The NCAAFB API's Push feeds stream data to you as it is entered, over a long-lived HTTP connection, removing the need to poll during live windows. Push complements the REST feeds rather than replacing them: a dropped session can be resumed within 10 minutes with the missed messages replayed (see Recovering from Disconnections), and the matching REST feed fills any longer gap.

The Push Feeds

Feed	What it streams
Push Events	Every play and game event as it lands, with the game header and situation context
Push Statistics	Team and player statistic lines updated as plays are entered

Opening a Connection

Subscribe with a single GET; follow redirects and keep the connection open:

GET https://api.sportradar.com/ncaafb/{access_level}/stream/{language_code}/events/subscribe

GET https://api.sportradar.com/ncaafb/{access_level}/stream/{language_code}/statistics/subscribe

PUSH CONNECTION LIFECYCLEone connection covers every live NCAAFB game

1. SubscribeGET /stream/en/events/subscribethe connection redirects, then stays open

2. Streamchunked messagesone JSON message per line; heartbeats every 5 seconds confirm a healthy connection

3. Applyreplace by ideach message carries full current state for its entity; newer replaces older

4. Reconnectresubscribe + REST catch-upon a drop, open a new connection and refill the gap from the matching REST feeds

Push complements the REST feeds; it does not replace them.

Filtering the Stream

By default a connection carries every live game. Query string parameters narrow the stream:

Parameter	Purpose
`event_category`	Event families such as `redzone`, `two_minute`, `scoring_play`, `big_play`, `turnover`
`event_type`	Specific event types such as `timeout`, `two_minute_warning`, `period_end`, `game_over`
`match`	A single game
`team`	A single team's games
`status`	`inprogress` or `created`
`locale`	Language code (`en`)

The Push Events reference page carries the full parameter list with examples.

Reading the Stream

Messages arrive one JSON object per line. Heartbeats confirm the connection every five seconds:

{
    "heartbeat": {
        "interval": 5000
    }
}

An event message pairs the game header with the event itself (trimmed to scalar fields):

{
    "payload": {
        "game": {
            "id": "fd3b9a50-7b22-45ea-852b-fe9362affc9d",
            "title": "Rose Bowl",
            "parent_id": "9c77e6a1-d2c6-483a-a01e-150797e94e7e",
            "status": "inprogress",
            "coverage": "full",
            "neutral_site": true,
            "game_type": "playoff",
            "playoff_game_type": "CFP Quarterfinal",
            "expected_latency": 25,
            "scheduled": "2026-01-01T21:00:00+00:00",
            "entry_mode": "LDE",
            "wx_temp": 63,
            "wx_humidity": 94,
            "wx_wind_speed": 6,
            "wx_wind_direction": "S",
            "wx_condition": "Partly cloudy",
            "weather": "Partly cloudy Temp: 63 F, Humidity: 94%, Wind: S 6 mph",
            "quarter": 1,
            "clock": "15:00",
            "conference_game": false,
            "sr_id": "sr:match:66951994"
        },
        "event": {
            "type": "play",
            "id": "55618620-e750-11f0-a712-15d9367530ce",
            "sequence": 1767301964210,
            "clock": "15:00",
            "home_points": 0,
            "away_points": 0,
            "created_at": "2026-01-01T21:12:44+00:00",
            "updated_at": "2026-01-01T21:12:44+00:00",
            "play_type": "kickoff",
            "wall_clock": "2026-01-01T21:12:39+00:00",
            "source": "SRUS",
            "official": true,
            "fake_punt": false,
            "fake_field_goal": false,
            "screen_pass": false,
            "play_action": false,
            "run_pass_option": false,
            "description": "C.Talty kicks 65 yards from ALA 35 to the IND End Zone. Touchback."
        }
    },
    "locale": "en",
    "metadata": {
        "match": "sd:match:fd3b9a50-7b22-45ea-852b-fe9362affc9d,sr:match:66951994",
        "team": "sd:team:19775492-f1eb-4bc5-9e15-078ebd689c0f",
        "league": "ncaafb",
        "locale": "en",
        "status": "inprogress",
        "event_type": "kickoff",
        "event_category": "",
        "operation": "update",
        "version": "v7"
    }
}

Messages arrive ahead of the television picture. Broadcast integrations commonly hold the display of push data back so it lands with their video feed; apply that offset in the presentation layer and keep ingestion immediate.

Statistics Messages

Statistics messages carry the team context and the updated statistic lines (trimmed):

{
    "payload": {
        "name": "Crimson Tide",
        "market": "Alabama",
        "alias": "ALA",
        "id": "fd3b9a50-7b22-45ea-852b-fe9362affc9d",
        "title": "Rose Bowl",
        "parent_id": "9c77e6a1-d2c6-483a-a01e-150797e94e7e",
        "status": "inprogress",
        "coverage": "full",
        "neutral_site": true,
        "game_type": "playoff",
        "playoff_game_type": "CFP Quarterfinal",
        "expected_latency": 25,
        "scheduled": "2026-01-01T21:00:00+00:00",
        "entry_mode": "LDE",
        "wx_temp": 63,
        "wx_humidity": 94,
        "wx_wind_speed": 6,
        "wx_wind_direction": "S",
        "wx_condition": "Partly cloudy",
        "weather": "Partly cloudy Temp: 63 F, Humidity: 94%, Wind: S 6 mph",
        "quarter": 1,
        "clock": "15:00",
        "conference_game": false,
        "sr_id": "sr:match:66951994",
        "team": {
            "name": "Crimson Tide",
            "market": "Alabama",
            "alias": "ALA",
            "id": "19775492-f1eb-4bc5-9e15-078ebd689c0f"
        }
    },
    "locale": "en",
    "metadata": {
        "match": "sd:match:fd3b9a50-7b22-45ea-852b-fe9362affc9d,sr:match:66951994",
        "league": "ncaafb",
        "locale": "en",
        "status": "inprogress",
        "participant": "sd:team:19775492-f1eb-4bc5-9e15-078ebd689c0f",
        "operation": "update",
        "version": "v7"
    }
}

Metadata and Routing

Every payload closes with a metadata block: the league, the game, the game status, the operation, and the event type or participant the message concerns. Comma-delimited values pair the sd:-prefixed GUID with the sr: URN for the same entity, so read them as an array:

"match": "sd:match:fd3b9a50-...,sr:match:66951994" is one game under both ID families
Event messages name the team in team and statistics messages name the team or player in participant; in the messages above these carry the GUID alone
Route messages by metadata.match before parsing the payload when you track several games on one connection
Filter high-interest moments client-side with event_type and event_category, which carry the same values the query string parameters accept

Recovering from Disconnections

Should you stop receiving heartbeat messages, or be disconnected from the Push service for any reason, resume the session first:

Keep the sessionId from the 302 redirect that answered your subscribe request (the Location header, or the final URL if your client follows redirects).
Within 10 minutes of the last message, repeat the same subscribe request with the same filter parameters and resumeSessionId=<sessionId> added. A fresh token and redirect come back; do not reuse the old token.
The missed messages are replayed (up to 5,000 messages or 30 seconds, at least once, so de-duplicate), then the stream continues live.

After the window, or if any parameter differs, the request opens a new session with no replay and no error. The full procedure with sample requests is under Disconnections on the Push Feeds page.

If the window has passed, resubscribe and use the corresponding RESTful feed to catch up: request the Game Play-by-Play to recover missed plays, and the Game Statistics feed to refresh statistic lines. Design the catch-up path first; live streams should always have a REST fallback.

Testing Push

You can use our API Simulations to open a continuous Push simulation of a NCAAFB game. Simulations replay past games as if they were live, over both REST and Push, so connection handling, parsing, and recovery can be exercised at any time of year.