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American Football API

The American Football API covers the NFL: get the schedule by week, live scores with the quarter and game clock on paid plans, final scores by quarter with overtime, standings by division and conference with playoff seeds, and every team's roster, from the preseason through the playoffs. The free plan covers the current season's schedule, final scores, standings and rosters.

league=nfl is the default, so no league parameter is needed. Looking for football as in soccer? See the Football (Soccer) API.

Available endpoints:

League guides: NFL API. One API key works for every sports API.

American football data at a glance

Season valueseason=2026 is the 2026 season, including the playoffs and the Super Bowl played in early 2027
WeeksEvery game has its week; season_type is preseason, regular or postseason
ScoringPoints by quarter in period_scores, plus overtime; decided_in is regulation or overtime
TiesA tied game has winner: null; standings include ties
Live gamesOn paid plans: score, quarter, game clock and halftime or end_of_period breaks
Standingswin_pct, games_behind, points for and against, streaks, division and conference records, and the playoff seed in conference_rank
RostersActive roster, injured reserve and similar lists, and the practice squad, with college and experience

League

LeagueWhat you getLeague value
NFLSchedules by week, live and final scores by quarter, standings by division and conference, teams and rostersnfl
4 endpoints

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballgames

Returns schedules, live scores and final scores. Ask for one day, a team's season or one game; with no parameters you get today's games. Paid plans see games in progress with the score, period and clock updated throughout the game; the free plan sees their status and the final score once they end. The free plan covers the current season. Developer plans add the three previous seasons, and the Business tier and above gets the full season archive.

Parameters

Every parameter is optional; league defaults to nfl.

  • league  optional

    Optional: nfl, the default.

  • date  optional

    Game day in the league's home time zone (YYYY-MM-DD). Defaults to today when no team or season is given.

  • team  optional

    Team id, abbreviation or name (e.g. KC): that team's games in the season.

  • season  optional

    Season, as the year it starts (2026 = 2026-27 for seasons that span two years). Defaults to the current season. On its own, returns the season's games 50 per page; use offset for the next page.

  • season_type  optional

    Only games of this part of the season.

  • status  optional

    Only games with this status.

  • game_id  optional

    Return one game.

  • limit  optional Premium only

    Games per page (1-500). Default 50.

  • offset  optional

    Games to skip, for paging. Default 0.

Headers

  • X-Api-Key  required

    API Key associated with your account.

Response

The /v1/americanfootballgames endpoint returns a JSON array of games in start order, or an error.

  • game_id

    Unique id of the game, e.g. nfl-20261019-was-sf. It never changes, even when a game is moved to another date.

  • league

    nfl.

  • sport

    Always american_football.

  • season

    Season, as the year it starts: 2026 is the 2026 season, including the playoffs and the Super Bowl played in early 2027.

  • season_label

    Display form of the season, e.g. 2026.

  • season_type

    preseason, regular or postseason.

  • week

    Week of the season.

  • date

    Game day in US Eastern time (YYYY-MM-DD), so a late game that starts after midnight UTC keeps its US date.

  • start_time

    Scheduled start in UTC (ISO 8601).

  • status

    scheduled, in_progress, final, postponed, canceled, suspended (including abandoned soccer matches) or delayed (e.g. a baseball rain delay).

  • status_detail Premium only

    During a game: halftime or end_of_period. Otherwise null. While a game is in progress, the free plan sees This field is for premium subscribers only.

  • period Live values: Premium

    Current quarter, or the last one played once the game is final. Overtime continues the count (5). While a game is in progress, the free plan sees This field is for premium subscribers only.

  • clock Premium only

    While a game is in progress: time left in the quarter, e.g. 5:33. The free plan sees This field is for premium subscribers only.

  • home_team, away_team

    The teams: team_id, name and abbreviation, named as they were that season. A team that moved city, such as the Oakland Raiders, has its own team_id.

  • home_score, away_score Live values: Premium

    Current or final score (points); null before the game starts. While a game is in progress, the free plan sees This field is for premium subscribers only.

  • period_scores Live values: Premium

    Score per quarter for home and away, plus overtime. While a game is in progress, the free plan sees This field is for premium subscribers only.

  • decided_in

    For final games: regulation or overtime.

  • winner

    team_id of the winner once the game is final; null before that and for a tie.

  • venue

    Where the game is played: name, city, state and country (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2).

  • neutral_site

    true when neither team is at home, e.g. international games and the Super Bowl.

  • original_date

    For a game moved to another date: the date it was first scheduled for. Otherwise null.

  • updated_at

    When any field of the game last changed (UTC).

Live Demo

Live demo · no API key required
Query parameters
league
date
team
season
season_type
status
game_id
limit
offset

Get a free API key to get started — no credit card required.

Headers
X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API key
GET
https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballgames
Sample response
[
{
"game_id": "nfl-20261019-was-sf",
"league": "nfl",
"sport": "american_football",
"season": 2026,
"season_label": "2026",
"season_type": "regular",
"week": 6,
"date": "2026-10-19",
"start_time": "2026-10-20T00:15:00Z",
"status": "final",
"status_detail": null,
"period": 4,
"clock": null,
"home_team": {
"team_id": "nfl-sf",
"name": "San Francisco 49ers",
"abbreviation": "SF"
},
"away_team": {
"team_id": "nfl-was",
"name": "Washington Commanders",
"abbreviation": "WAS"
},
"home_score": 23,
"away_score": 17,
"period_scores": {
"home": [
13,
7,
3,
0
],
"away": [
3,
0,
7,
7
]
},
"decided_in": "regulation",
"winner": "nfl-sf",
"venue": {
"name": "Levi's Stadium",
"city": "Santa Clara",
"state": "CA",
"country": "US"
},
"neutral_site": false,
"original_date": null,
"updated_at": "2026-10-23T03:13:56Z"
}
]

Code Examples

curl -X GET "https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballgames" \ -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballstandings

Returns the league table for a season, ordered by league rank, or by conference or division rank when you filter. Tables update throughout the season, shortly after each game ends. The free plan covers the current season. Developer plans add the three previous seasons, and the Business tier and above gets the full season archive.

Parameters

  • league  optional

    Optional: nfl, the default.

  • season  optional

    Season, as the year it starts. Defaults to the current season.

  • conference  optional

    Only this conference, e.g. AFC.

  • division  optional

    Only this division, e.g. AFC East.

Headers

  • X-Api-Key  required

    API Key associated with your account.

Response

The /v1/americanfootballstandings endpoint returns a JSON array of team rows, or an error. Fields that do not apply to a league are left out.

  • league, sport, season, season_label

    League, sport and season of the table.

  • team

    team_id, name and abbreviation, named as they were that season.

  • conference, division

    The team's conference and division that season, e.g. AFC and AFC East.

  • games_played, wins, losses

    Record.

  • ties

    Tied games.

  • win_pct, games_behind

    Winning percentage and games behind the division leader.

  • points_for, points_against, point_differential

    Points scored and allowed, and the difference.

  • streak

    Current streak, e.g. W2 or L1.

  • home_record, away_record

    Home and road records, e.g. 4-1.

  • division_record, conference_record

    Records against division and conference opponents.

  • league_rank, conference_rank, division_rank

    Rank in the league, conference and division; conference_rank is the playoff seed.

  • final

    true once the regular season is over and the table no longer changes.

Live Demo

Live demo · no API key required
Query parameters
league
season
conference
division

Get a free API key to get started — no credit card required.

Headers
X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API key
GET
https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballstandings
Sample response
[
{
"league": "nfl",
"sport": "american_football",
"season": 2026,
"season_label": "2026",
"team": {
"team_id": "nfl-min",
"name": "Minnesota Vikings",
"abbreviation": "MIN"
},
"conference": "NFC",
"division": "NFC North",
"games_played": 6,
"wins": 6,
"losses": 0,
"ties": 0,
"win_pct": 1,
"games_behind": 0,
"points_for": 125,
"points_against": 74,
"point_differential": 51,
"streak": "W6",
"home_record": "3-0",
"away_record": "3-0",
"division_record": "2-0",
"conference_record": "4-0",
"league_rank": 1,
"conference_rank": 1,
"division_rank": 1,
"final": false
}
]

Code Examples

curl -X GET "https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballstandings" \ -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballteams

Lists teams with their league, conference, division and home venue. Available on every plan.

Parameters

  • league  optional

    Optional: nfl.

  • team  optional

    Team id, abbreviation or name (e.g. KC): return one team.

  • conference  optional

    Only teams in this conference.

  • division  optional

    Only teams in this division.

  • active  optional

    false lists former teams that appear in past seasons.

Headers

  • X-Api-Key  required

    API Key associated with your account.

Response

The /v1/americanfootballteams endpoint returns a JSON array of teams, or an error.

  • team_id

    Unique id, e.g. nfl-kc. Use it, the abbreviation or the name in other endpoints.

  • league

    The team's league.

  • sport

    Always american_football.

  • abbreviation, name, city

    Identity of the team.

  • nickname, conference, division

    Nickname, current conference and division.

  • venue

    Home venue: name, city, state, country.

  • active

    false for teams that have since moved, such as the Oakland Raiders, which still appear in past seasons.

Live Demo

Live demo · no API key required
Query parameters
league
team
conference
division
active

Get a free API key to get started — no credit card required.

Headers
X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API key
GET
https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballteams
Sample response
[
{
"team_id": "nfl-kc",
"league": "nfl",
"sport": "american_football",
"abbreviation": "KC",
"name": "Kansas City Chiefs",
"nickname": "Chiefs",
"city": "Kansas City",
"conference": "AFC",
"division": "AFC West",
"venue": {
"name": "Arrowhead Stadium",
"city": "Kansas City",
"state": "MO",
"country": "US"
},
"active": true
}
]

Code Examples

curl -X GET "https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballteams" \ -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballplayers

Returns current rosters and player profiles, by team or by name. Rosters refresh every day. Available on every plan.

Parameters

Provide team or name, or a player_id.

  • league  optional

    Optional: nfl, the default.

  • team  optional

    Team id, abbreviation or name: that team's current roster.

  • name  optional

    Full or partial player name. Case and accents are ignored.

  • player_id  optional

    Return one player.

  • position  optional

    Only this position, e.g. QB.

  • limit  optional Premium only

    Players per page (1-500). Default 50.

  • offset  optional

    Players to skip, for paging. Default 0.

Headers

  • X-Api-Key  required

    API Key associated with your account.

Response

The /v1/americanfootballplayers endpoint returns a JSON array of players, or an error. League-specific fields are left out where they do not apply.

  • player_id

    Unique id, e.g. nfl-p-c12c062031. It stays the same when a player changes teams.

  • league

    League of the player's current roster.

  • team

    Current team: team_id, name and abbreviation; null for a player whose roster_status is not_on_roster.

  • name, first_name, last_name

    Player name.

  • position, jersey_number

    Position abbreviation and jersey number.

  • height_in, height_cm, weight_lb, weight_kg

    Height and weight.

  • birth_date, birth_place

    Date of birth and birthplace (city, state, country).

  • roster_status

    active, reserve (NFL injured reserve and similar lists), practice_squad (NFL), suspended, or not_on_roster.

  • college, experience_years

    College and years of professional experience, where they apply.

Live Demo

Live demo · no API key required
Query parameters
league
team
name
player_id
position
limit
offset

Get a free API key to get started — no credit card required.

Headers
X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API key
GET
https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballplayers?team=KC
Sample response
[
{
"player_id": "nfl-p-c12c062031",
"league": "nfl",
"team": {
"team_id": "nfl-kc",
"name": "Kansas City Chiefs",
"abbreviation": "KC"
},
"name": "Patrick Mahomes",
"first_name": "Patrick",
"last_name": "Mahomes",
"position": "QB",
"jersey_number": "15",
"height_in": 74,
"height_cm": 188,
"weight_lb": 225,
"weight_kg": 102,
"birth_date": "1995-09-17",
"birth_place": {
"city": "Whitehouse",
"state": "TX",
"country": "US"
},
"roster_status": "active",
"college": "Texas Tech",
"experience_years": 10
}
]

Code Examples

curl -X GET "https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/americanfootballplayers?team=KC" \ -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes, but you must have a premium subscription. Commercial use of the American Football API is not permitted on the free tier. See our pricing page to choose a plan that fits your needs.
  • Sign up for a free account to instantly get your API key, then pass it in the X-Api-Key header on every request. The documentation above includes ready-to-run examples in cURL, Python, JavaScript, Node.js, and more.
  • Your API requests will simply be denied once you hit your monthly quota — you will never be charged more than the plan you signed up for. To increase your quota, you can upgrade your plan any time on our pricing page.
  • The API responds with a standard HTTP status code and a JSON error message describing the problem. See our error codes reference for the full list of codes and how to resolve each one, or contact support if you need help.
  • Yes. The free plan covers the current NFL season: the full schedule by week, final scores by quarter, standings, teams and rosters. Paid plans add live scores with the quarter and game clock, and past seasons.
  • The NFL, from the preseason through the playoffs and the Super Bowl. league=nfl is the default, so no league parameter is needed. See the NFL API guide for the season and standings details.
  • Call /v1/americanfootballgames?date=YYYY-MM-DD for one game day, or /v1/americanfootballgames?season=2026 for the season (50 games per page; use offset for more) and filter by week. With no parameters you get today's games.
  • No. This API covers American football. Soccer competitions such as the Premier League and the Champions League are in the Football (Soccer) API, on the same API key.
  • decided_in is regulation or overtime, and period_scores adds the overtime period after the four quarters. A tied game has equal scores and winner: null, and standings include ties.

Explore API integration use cases for recommended APIs and workflow examples.

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