10 ms·

World Cup data in JSON

141 points by llamataboot 12y ago

llamataboot 12y ago
And the obligatory blog post about building it! http://softwareforgood.com/soccer-good/ http://softwareforgood.com/soccer-good/
- kreek 12y ago
  Somewhat off topic... Your blog looks great, but that's a questionable choice of header font on the service page, especially when used as all caps :)
  - llamataboot 12y ago
    Thanks for the feedback. I just threw something up in a few minutes. I'll try to get something better looking up tonight with the caveat that I'm not a designer. Maybe I can get some of my co-workers to design an awesome looking splash page for me.
    - kreek 12y ago
      Looks great now! :)
  - llamataboot 12y ago
    Refreshed the design this morning, might be easier on your eyes :)
alexcroox 12y ago
Ugh I struggled to find something like this before I manually built the DB for http://wcfixtures.co.uk http://wcfixtures.co.uk Dammit!
- llamataboot 12y ago
  I love your site design!
  - junto 12y ago
    Agreed. It is really unique. Nice work.
- melvinmt 12y ago
  Great site, but timezone is 8 hrs off for me.
  - untog 12y ago
    Well, it is a .co.uk site.
    - iagooar 12y ago
      But there is this thing called timezone support. Even JS can handle it.
  - alexcroox 12y ago
    It was built for UK users (.co.uk), I wasn't up for researching the TV channels of every country!
    - melvinmt 12y ago
      Yeah I get that it's co.uk, but with one small adjustment (just displaying the local timezone in JS) it could be used by people all over the world :) No need for researching TV channels, the games are broadcast instantly in every country.
- sturob 12y ago
  Likewise for http://sturob.com/wc14/ http://sturob.com/wc14/ We should aim to do better at collaborating on this sort of thing - before the tournament starts.
  - bronson 12y ago
    That's a great picture. High information density but easy to read.
  - iamwithnail 12y ago
    Alex and sturob, those are both gorgeous, guys!
  - rbonvall 12y ago
    I loved the 9x9 grid for displaying group matches.
  - onk 12y ago
    I've much enjoyed your illustration throughout the group matches. Interestingly, I've shared it with others and they all fell silent. But once I explained it to them they liked it a lot and shared it with others. Who also fell silent. For many people it seems it's too much information/impenetrable. For me it was a puzzle to solve (as I wasn't current on current round-robin protocol). Really good work. Keep it up and see you in 4 years!
- fridriksson 12y ago
  Awesome design!
- mokkol 12y ago
  This is the best world cup site by far! Thanks a lot for sharing!
- spazmaster 12y ago
  Care to share some stats on visits and where they come from? I love the site!
PeterWhittaker 12y ago
I'm not sure that I understand the motivation or need for this. Can you not get match info from your local news feeds? Perhaps I'm spoiled, because every match is free: cbc.ca/sports-content/soccer/brazil2014/video/
- llamataboot 12y ago
  Sure, but what if you want to do something with that data? The point of an API is that it is easily consumable. I explained a bit about why I built it in my blog post, but mainly it was 1) for fun and learning (I've never built an API before) 2) to keep the stats updated on a site that I built for my friends for our world cup draft and 3) to be able to use our company Hubot to ask about scores throughout the day...but mostly for fun and learning!
  - PeterWhittaker 12y ago
    Good answers, thanks.
alexkus 12y ago
http://www.live-footballontv.com/ http://www.live-footballontv.com/ Is where I got for football fixtures for the UK, albeit not JSON.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
bbfc 12y ago
I'm using http://www.optasports.com/ http://www.optasports.com/ for the worldcup livefeed . Their Sports API is insanely accurate (and expensive).
- dmn001 12y ago
  Yes, I heard that one is expensive. Just out of interest, what are you using it for?
  - iamwithnail 12y ago
    Pretty jealous. I need to get my site together in order to play around with the Opta historical stuff, I'm working on letting people back test betting strategies.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
thevlade 12y ago
But, we have an official API! http://live.mobileapp.fifa.com/api/wc/matches http://live.mobileapp.fifa.com/api/wc/matches More details on my last submission here on HN.
- dmn001 12y ago
  Is there any documentation for that api, from the url it looks that they created it specifically for their official mobile app only?
  - thevlade 12y ago
    I haven't found any documentation and, indeed, it was created for their mobile app. What I have heard from a guy on Twitter is that if you get the number of the match then you can: http://live.mobileapp.fifa.com/api/wc/match/300186492/en http://live.mobileapp.fifa.com/api/wc/match/300186492/en Also if you put /blog at the end of that URL you get the latest news regarding that match.
- jameshart 12y ago
  T's and C's on FIFA's site are pretty clear: (i) FIFA Content 5.1 All FIFA Content, including FIFA feeds, is owned by, or licensed to, FIFA. FIFA Content is provided to You “AS IS” and may not be used, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, broadcast, displayed, sold, licensed or otherwise exploited for any other purposes than their access and usage on the FIFA Digital Platforms. For that sole and exclusive purpose, FIFA grants to You a limited, revocable, non-exclusive license to access and use the FIFA Digital Platforms privately for non-commercial purposes, in accordance with these Terms. "FIFA Digital Platforms" is defined as the website and their App. So... doesn't really sound like an "official API" in the sense of being something you could use to create your own world-cup data-based apps or web sites...
avidas 12y ago
http://www.kimonolabs.com/worldcup/docs http://www.kimonolabs.com/worldcup/docs Kimonolabs seems to have one a world cup api too
gberger 12y ago
Trying to build a Hubot script that broadcasts goals. How can I know if a goal was scored? Save the last call and compare? At what rate should I call the API?
- gberger 12y ago
  UPDATE: Built it! npm: https://www.npmjs.org/package/hubot-world-cup-live https://www.npmjs.org/package/hubot-world-cup-live github: https://github.com/gberger/hubot-world-cup-live https://github.com/gberger/hubot-world-cup-live
  - sailfast 12y ago
    This is beautiful. I was looking for an API to do just this exact thing the other day. Thank you sir.
Soarez 12y ago
Oh cool. Can we have the problems fifa caused in brasil in JSON as well?
film42 12y ago
I love this! Looks like HN might be slowing your server down (around 800ms to grab matches). You should try puma or unicorn instead of webrick.
- llamataboot 12y ago
  I didn't expect it to be quite so popular all of the sudden. :)Looking at switching it over to Unicorn... EDIT: switched to unicorn. Please keep me updated about speed issues and I can turn it up
anuragbiyani 12y ago
Created a small bash script to display the current match scores as part of the terminal prompt : https://gist.github.com/abiyani/34f25dc8ed2a862517e7 https://gist.github.com/abiyani/34f25dc8ed2a862517e7 Sample output: abiyani@vaio:~ [BEL-2-1-ALG, RUS-1-1-KOR, BRA-0-0-MEX]
SushiMon 12y ago
I'd add the Kimono Labs has done something quite similar with their World Cup API http://www.kimonolabs.com/worldcup/explorer http://www.kimonolabs.com/worldcup/explorer
lateguy 12y ago
great stuff.
iagooar 12y ago
I have looked into the code, why do you sometimes use the old hash syntax with the hashrocket and sometimes the new (>= 1.9) one?
Isofarro 12y ago
There's something funky going on with your homepage. 1.) Open homepage 2.) Click the /matches endpoint link. Json displays 3.) Click back button. Expected: The homepage displays. Actual: The URL changes back to the homepage URL, but the matches JSON is still displayed. Browser: Safari 7.0.4
- tucaz 12y ago
  Found the same here. Chrome 35.0.1916.153 on Windows
- danielrmay 12y ago
  Can replicate for any of the endpoint links, not just /matches. Chrome Windows Version 35.0.1916.153
ajanuary 12y ago
It would be nice to have an endpoint to get a list of teams, though I guess that data is pretty static.
- llamataboot 12y ago
  That is there too, sorry forgot to document it, just use /teams
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
old_frack 12y ago
How can I do an AJAX request to your site? Or should I create my own server?
- llamataboot 12y ago
  You can create your own server, but I am looking into adding CORS support this evening or accepting a pull request that does.
  - llamataboot 12y ago
    cross site requests should work fine now

141 points by llamataboot 12y ago

And the obligatory blog post about building it! http://softwareforgood.com/soccer-good/ http://softwareforgood.com/soccer-good/

kreek 12y ago
Somewhat off topic... Your blog looks great, but that's a questionable choice of header font on the service page, especially when used as all caps :)
- llamataboot 12y ago
  Thanks for the feedback. I just threw something up in a few minutes. I'll try to get something better looking up tonight with the caveat that I'm not a designer. Maybe I can get some of my co-workers to design an awesome looking splash page for me.
  - kreek 12y ago
    Looks great now! :)
- llamataboot 12y ago
  Refreshed the design this morning, might be easier on your eyes :)

alexcroox 12y ago

Ugh I struggled to find something like this before I manually built the DB for http://wcfixtures.co.uk http://wcfixtures.co.uk Dammit!

llamataboot 12y ago
I love your site design!
- junto 12y ago
  Agreed. It is really unique. Nice work.
melvinmt 12y ago
Great site, but timezone is 8 hrs off for me.
- untog 12y ago
  Well, it is a .co.uk site.
  - iagooar 12y ago
    But there is this thing called timezone support. Even JS can handle it.
- alexcroox 12y ago
  It was built for UK users (.co.uk), I wasn't up for researching the TV channels of every country!
  - melvinmt 12y ago
    Yeah I get that it's co.uk, but with one small adjustment (just displaying the local timezone in JS) it could be used by people all over the world :) No need for researching TV channels, the games are broadcast instantly in every country.
sturob 12y ago
Likewise for http://sturob.com/wc14/ http://sturob.com/wc14/ We should aim to do better at collaborating on this sort of thing - before the tournament starts.
- bronson 12y ago
  That's a great picture. High information density but easy to read.
- iamwithnail 12y ago
  Alex and sturob, those are both gorgeous, guys!
- rbonvall 12y ago
  I loved the 9x9 grid for displaying group matches.
- onk 12y ago
  I've much enjoyed your illustration throughout the group matches. Interestingly, I've shared it with others and they all fell silent. But once I explained it to them they liked it a lot and shared it with others. Who also fell silent. For many people it seems it's too much information/impenetrable. For me it was a puzzle to solve (as I wasn't current on current round-robin protocol). Really good work. Keep it up and see you in 4 years!
fridriksson 12y ago
Awesome design!
mokkol 12y ago
This is the best world cup site by far! Thanks a lot for sharing!
spazmaster 12y ago
Care to share some stats on visits and where they come from? I love the site!

PeterWhittaker 12y ago

I'm not sure that I understand the motivation or need for this. Can you not get match info from your local news feeds? Perhaps I'm spoiled, because every match is free: cbc.ca/sports-content/soccer/brazil2014/video/

llamataboot 12y ago
Sure, but what if you want to do something with that data? The point of an API is that it is easily consumable. I explained a bit about why I built it in my blog post, but mainly it was 1) for fun and learning (I've never built an API before) 2) to keep the stats updated on a site that I built for my friends for our world cup draft and 3) to be able to use our company Hubot to ask about scores throughout the day...but mostly for fun and learning!
- PeterWhittaker 12y ago
  Good answers, thanks.

alexkus 12y ago

http://www.live-footballontv.com/ http://www.live-footballontv.com/ Is where I got for football fixtures for the UK, albeit not JSON.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

bbfc 12y ago

I'm using http://www.optasports.com/ http://www.optasports.com/ for the worldcup livefeed . Their Sports API is insanely accurate (and expensive).

dmn001 12y ago
Yes, I heard that one is expensive. Just out of interest, what are you using it for?
- iamwithnail 12y ago
  Pretty jealous. I need to get my site together in order to play around with the Opta historical stuff, I'm working on letting people back test betting strategies.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

thevlade 12y ago

But, we have an official API! http://live.mobileapp.fifa.com/api/wc/matches http://live.mobileapp.fifa.com/api/wc/matches More details on my last submission here on HN.

dmn001 12y ago
Is there any documentation for that api, from the url it looks that they created it specifically for their official mobile app only?
- thevlade 12y ago
  I haven't found any documentation and, indeed, it was created for their mobile app. What I have heard from a guy on Twitter is that if you get the number of the match then you can: http://live.mobileapp.fifa.com/api/wc/match/300186492/en http://live.mobileapp.fifa.com/api/wc/match/300186492/en Also if you put /blog at the end of that URL you get the latest news regarding that match.
jameshart 12y ago
T's and C's on FIFA's site are pretty clear: (i) FIFA Content 5.1 All FIFA Content, including FIFA feeds, is owned by, or licensed to, FIFA. FIFA Content is provided to You “AS IS” and may not be used, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, broadcast, displayed, sold, licensed or otherwise exploited for any other purposes than their access and usage on the FIFA Digital Platforms. For that sole and exclusive purpose, FIFA grants to You a limited, revocable, non-exclusive license to access and use the FIFA Digital Platforms privately for non-commercial purposes, in accordance with these Terms. "FIFA Digital Platforms" is defined as the website and their App. So... doesn't really sound like an "official API" in the sense of being something you could use to create your own world-cup data-based apps or web sites...

avidas 12y ago

http://www.kimonolabs.com/worldcup/docs http://www.kimonolabs.com/worldcup/docs Kimonolabs seems to have one a world cup api too

gberger 12y ago

Trying to build a Hubot script that broadcasts goals. How can I know if a goal was scored? Save the last call and compare? At what rate should I call the API?

gberger 12y ago
UPDATE: Built it! npm: https://www.npmjs.org/package/hubot-world-cup-live https://www.npmjs.org/package/hubot-world-cup-live github: https://github.com/gberger/hubot-world-cup-live https://github.com/gberger/hubot-world-cup-live
- sailfast 12y ago
  This is beautiful. I was looking for an API to do just this exact thing the other day. Thank you sir.

Soarez 12y ago

Oh cool. Can we have the problems fifa caused in brasil in JSON as well?

film42 12y ago

I love this! Looks like HN might be slowing your server down (around 800ms to grab matches). You should try puma or unicorn instead of webrick.

llamataboot 12y ago
I didn't expect it to be quite so popular all of the sudden. :)Looking at switching it over to Unicorn... EDIT: switched to unicorn. Please keep me updated about speed issues and I can turn it up

anuragbiyani 12y ago

Created a small bash script to display the current match scores as part of the terminal prompt : https://gist.github.com/abiyani/34f25dc8ed2a862517e7 https://gist.github.com/abiyani/34f25dc8ed2a862517e7 Sample output: abiyani@vaio:~ [BEL-2-1-ALG, RUS-1-1-KOR, BRA-0-0-MEX]

SushiMon 12y ago

I'd add the Kimono Labs has done something quite similar with their World Cup API http://www.kimonolabs.com/worldcup/explorer http://www.kimonolabs.com/worldcup/explorer

lateguy 12y ago

great stuff.

iagooar 12y ago

I have looked into the code, why do you sometimes use the old hash syntax with the hashrocket and sometimes the new (>= 1.9) one?

Isofarro 12y ago

There's something funky going on with your homepage. 1.) Open homepage 2.) Click the /matches endpoint link. Json displays 3.) Click back button. Expected: The homepage displays. Actual: The URL changes back to the homepage URL, but the matches JSON is still displayed. Browser: Safari 7.0.4

tucaz 12y ago
Found the same here. Chrome 35.0.1916.153 on Windows
danielrmay 12y ago
Can replicate for any of the endpoint links, not just /matches. Chrome Windows Version 35.0.1916.153

ajanuary 12y ago

It would be nice to have an endpoint to get a list of teams, though I guess that data is pretty static.

llamataboot 12y ago
That is there too, sorry forgot to document it, just use /teams

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

old_frack 12y ago

How can I do an AJAX request to your site? Or should I create my own server?

llamataboot 12y ago
You can create your own server, but I am looking into adding CORS support this evening or accepting a pull request that does.
- llamataboot 12y ago
  cross site requests should work fine now