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Update Frequencies

Intro

Each NCAAFB API endpoint updates at a variable frequency, in terms of both its cache and its data.

For example, a Game endpoint may have a 2 second cache during a live game and a 120 second cache outside of a live game. Alternatively, a Standings endpoint may have a 120 second cache, but the data within will only update when games conclude. And during the offseason data will not update at all.

Given your limited amount of API requests and QPS, these frequencies should be understood and factored into your pull rate.

Use this section to help determine the best pull frequency for your needs.



Time-to-Live (TTL) and Data Updates

Understanding the distinction between TTL and data updates is crucial for designing an efficient and reliable NCAAFB API solution. TTL is focused on the validity of cached data to optimize performance, whereas data updates are concerned with the actual data within the API.


Time-to-Live (TTL)

Time-to-Live (TTL) is a mechanism used to define the lifespan of data in a cache or network. It specifies the duration for which the data remains valid and can be reused. Once the TTL expires, the data could be stale and must be re-fetched.

You can find the TTL for each RESTful feed in the response header of a request under Cache-Control. A response of public, must-revalidate, max-age=300 signifies a time-to-live of 300 seconds.


Data Updates

Data Updates refer to the changes made to the underlying data that the API provides access to. This can occur through various operations such as creating, updating, or deleting our sports data.

Data updates are critical to ensuring that the API delivers the most current and accurate information. Data entry workflows and processes specific to NCAAFB data will affect your suggested request frequency.



Additional Frequency Resources

NCAAFB API responses also provide expires and etag headers. Toggle between the two header samples below to get an idea of how each functions.

Expires

Use the expires header date to determine a specific time to re-fetch data. In cases, it may be more convenient than computing the date of the content alongside the TTL.

Etags

Use the etags header to check if the content has changed between requests.

< HTTP/2 200 
< content-type: application/xml;charset=utf-8
< content-length: 884005
< date: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 18:21:13 GMT
< x-amzn-requestid: 87355d21-5a20-429a-95e9-b36d406a992f
< strict-transport-security: max-age=15724800; includeSubDomains
< x-amzn-remapped-content-length: 884005
< content-language: en
< x-amzn-remapped-connection: close
< x-amz-apigw-id: aWR3wGSRIAMEddQ=
< cache-control: public, must-revalidate, max-age=120
< expires: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 18:23:12 GMT
< etag: "2b358d2fe60303e7bbd1be3d64a37cfe"
< x-via: Delivery-Proxy
< x-amzn-trace-id: Root=1-66859697-752ac4fa2c40a4586900aa76;Parent=667fb8ce9acca5af;Sampled=0;lineage=b9fe645c:0
< x-amzn-remapped-date: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 18:21:13 GMT
< via: 1.1 72b77c557ac4c265c32d99bdef4e9d6a.cloudfront.net (CloudFront), 1.1 d1b7c750b45b2751c2c1a34c2f5af9ec.cloudfront.net (CloudFront)
< x-amz-cf-pop: IAD79-C3
< vary: Accept-Encoding
< x-cache: Hit from cloudfront
< x-amz-cf-pop: ORD58-P6
< x-amz-cf-id: -u_iAJXYbBsYDq3ex20s2Sj7z0m-yIx5CDRpGHIPxz4k58-Pl-857A==
< age: 13
< HTTP/2 200 
< content-type: application/xml;charset=utf-8
< content-length: 884005
< date: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 18:32:17 GMT
< x-amzn-requestid: 0211fcbe-b272-49fc-9c2e-bc8c8fded090
< strict-transport-security: max-age=15724800; includeSubDomains
< x-amzn-remapped-content-length: 884005
< content-language: en
< x-amzn-remapped-connection: close
< x-amz-apigw-id: aWTfeFFkIAMEvvA=
< cache-control: public, must-revalidate, max-age=120
< expires: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 18:34:16 GMT
< etag: "94bf0a9737dd296c3ebf95f0b9de9ea5"
< x-via: Delivery-Proxy
< x-amzn-trace-id: Root=1-6685992f-41c8513b6c9423d36b717894;Parent=7c945e91890c1d79;Sampled=0;lineage=b9fe645c:0
< x-amzn-remapped-date: Wed, 03 Jul 2024 18:32:17 GMT
< via: 1.1 c3fbf93d9b0f1f9b36fcc420314f3186.cloudfront.net (CloudFront), 1.1 049d2c2e11b2a18bd6ce7ab8a5981ed2.cloudfront.net (CloudFront)
< x-amz-cf-pop: IAD79-C3
< vary: Accept-Encoding
< x-cache: Miss from cloudfront
< x-amz-cf-pop: ORD58-P6
< x-amz-cf-id: wjObvD9E5r97H03nJ95mPb1bmnnTOaLoLMtX9kOptCpyLqBQvz3Wpg==


Frequency Chart

What is the right request frequency for your use? Which endpoints should you pull to get the most efficient use of your allotted calls?

The below chart provides answers to these questions, with a breakdown of the cache and data updates for every NCAAFB API endpoint, as well as our recommended pulling frequency.

Endpoint

TTL / Cache

Data Updates

Recommended Pull

(Non-Live)

Recommended Pull

(Live)

Current Season Schedule

10 Seconds

Hourly

A new season begins on the date of the first game of a season.

Pull every hour or less, depending on your use case.

Note that this feed should be used for schedule info prior to a game start. For status of a live game, reference a "game" endpoint.

Not applicable

Use this feed for non-live schedule retrieval only.

Current Week Schedule

10 seconds

Hourly

New weeks begin when the first game of a week is moved to created status.

See our Weekly Data Entry section for typical status updates.

Pull every hour or less, depending on your use case.

Note that this feed should be used for schedule info prior to a game start. For status of a live game, reference a "game" endpoint.

Not applicable

Use this feed for non-live schedule retrieval only.

Daily Change Log

300 seconds

Entries populate live for changes to teams, players, game statistics, schedules, and standings.

Start time of the log is 05:00:00 UTC; end time is 04:59:59 UTC

Pull every ten minutes or less, depending on your use case.

Not applicable

Game Boxscore

This endpoint will update to a 2s TTL (time to live) upon a game moving to inprogress.

Upon closed, it will transfer to 120s.

Realtime

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Feed can be ignored until 10 minutes before the scheduled game start, depending on your use case.

Utilize the daily change log to capture data changes after a game has ended.

Can request as fast as every 2 seconds (matching the TTL) when a game is live.

Game feeds should be requested 10 minutes before the scheduled start.

Use the expected_latency field to determine how many this feed may lag behind live play.

Game Play-by-Play

This endpoint will update to a 2s TTL (time to live) upon a game moving to inprogress.

Upon closed, it will transfer to 120s.

Realtime

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Feed can be ignored until 10 minutes before the scheduled game start, depending on your use case.

Utilize the daily change log to capture data changes after a game has ended.

Can request as fast as every 2 seconds (matching the TTL) when a game is live.

Game feeds should be requested 10 minutes before the scheduled start.

Use the expected_latency field to determine how many this feed may lag behind live play.

Game Roster

This endpoint will update to a 2s TTL (time to live) upon a game moving to inprogress.

Upon closed, it will transfer to 120s.

Realtime

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Feed can be ignored until 10 minutes before the scheduled game start, depending on your use case.

Utilize the daily change log to capture data changes after a game has ended.

Can request as fast as every 2 seconds (matching the TTL) when a game is live.

Game feeds should be requested 10 minutes before the scheduled start.

Use the expected_latency field to determine how many this feed may lag behind live play.

Game Statistics

This endpoint will update to a 2s TTL (time to live) upon a game moving to inprogress.

Upon closed, it will transfer to 120s.

Realtime

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Feed can be ignored until 10 minutes before the scheduled game start, depending on your use case.

Utilize the daily change log to capture data changes after a game has ended.

Can request as fast as every 2 seconds (matching the TTL) when a game is live.

Game feeds should be requested 10 minutes before the scheduled start.

Use the expected_latency field to determine how many this feed may lag behind live play.

League Hierarchy

300 seconds

Hierarchy updates will appear as they are updated in the database.

Pull daily or less, depending on your use case.

Not applicable

Player Profile

120 seconds

Seasonal stats are updated around 5 minutes after a game is moved to closed

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Utilize the daily change log to capture data changes after a game has ended.

Pull 5-10 mins after a game is moved to closed to receive the quickest updates

Postgame Standings

120 seconds

Standings are updated within 2 minutes of each game moving to complete

Pull every hour or less, depending on your use case.

Pull 2-5 mins after a game is moved to 'complete' to receive the quickest updates

Rankings (By Week)

2 seconds

Rankings are updated within 15 minutes after their release to the public, typically on Sundays.

The CFP rankings begin after week 10, and are typically released on Tuesdays.

Pull every hour or less, depending on your use case.

N/A

Rankings (Current Week)

2 seconds

Rankings are updated within 15 minutes after their release to the public, typically on Sundays.

The CFP rankings begin after week 10, and are typically released on Tuesdays.

Pull every hour or less, depending on your use case.

N/A

Season Schedule

10 seconds

Schedule info is updated in realtime as changes are made.

Pull every hour or less, depending on your use case.

Note that this feed should be used for schedule info prior to a game start. For status of a live game, reference a "game" endpoint.

Not applicable

Seasonal Statistics

120 seconds

Seasonal stats are updated around 5 minutes after a game is moved to closed

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Utilize the daily change log to capture data changes after a game has ended.

Pull 5-10 mins after a game is moved to closed to receive the quickest updates

Seasons

300 seconds

New seasons will appear as they are added to the database.

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Not applicable

Team Roster

300 seconds

Updates are made in realtime as changes are made to rosters or player profiles.

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Not applicable

Teams

300 seconds

New teams will appear as they are added to the database.

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Not applicable

Tournament List

2 seconds

Each NCAAFB Playoff tournament entry will be available shortly after the regular season schedule is released.

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Pull daily or less, depending on your use case.

Tournament Schedule

2 seconds

Schedule info is updated in realtime as changes are made.

The initial playoff schedule (with TBD matchups) will be available shortly after the regular season schedule is released.

Teams will advance to the next round on a 2-minute timer after the previous game moves to complete status.

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Pull every hour or less, depending on your use case.

Note that this feed should be used for schedule info prior to a game start. For status of a live game, reference a "game" endpoint.

Tournament Summary

2 seconds

Schedule info is updated in realtime as changes are made.

Brackets and seeds will be available shortly after they are made official.

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Pull daily or less, depending on your use case.

Transfer Portal

300 seconds

Transfer portal updates appear as they are updated in our database.

Pull on an as-needed basis.

Not applicable

Weekly Schedule

10 seconds

Schedule info is updated in realtime as changes are made.

Pull every hour or less during the current week, depending on your use case.

Not applicable

🏈

Important Note

Pull recommendations are based on a typical customer's needs. We suggest starting with our recommended rate and adjusting as necessary according to your needs.