Event Stats Level (ESL) and Season Stats Level (SSL) are the most important parameters in SportsApi. It’s extremely important to us to help our partners understand and read them correctly.
SportsAPI gives you an access to a vast amount of data, every possible information or statistic that may happen in the world of sports. Knowing how huge our database already is, we had to figure out how to group the sports content to make it feasible for our partner to use it for his needs.
This is why we organised our data into 4 different levels that determine what kind of information/statistic is guaranteed on each of the levels (ESL/SSL) and which is an add-on within the selected level (ESL+/SSL+).
Event Stats Level (ESL)
This parameter is related to a single Game. We use this parameter to inform our current and future partners about the number and depth of statistics collected for a single event depending on the level. This parameter changes over time and gives you information what is the current level of stats we believe will be provided for the selected event.
We have 4 different levels of statistics collected within a single event:
VIP
the biggest number of stats we can possibly collect within the selected game
LIVE coverage very often done by two Scouts in team sports or one Scout in individual sports (if there is no chance to go deeper on stats, and a second Scout isn’t needed)
GOLD
decent number of team stats and basic player stats collected either LIVE by one Scout or entered manually after the game by a Season Data team member (Data Manager, Data Supervisor or League Editor)
lineups and players' names being added live per key incidents in team sports
SILVER
basic team stats collected either LIVE by one Scout (mostly using a mobile phone from the venue/sports ground) or entered manually after the game by a Season Data team member (Data Manager, Data Supervisor or League Editor)
no lineups and players' names guaranteed (could be provided depending on sport)
BRONZE
just the live score and event time provided during LIVE coverage
‘Full time only’ result if there is no LIVE coverage
no Scout nor League Editor presence is required
Event Stats Level is an extremely important parameter during full event’s life cycle, from being created till few hours after it’s finished, as we inform our partners what level of statistics are available for the precise moment they enter our database (game could be on ESL BRONZE 3 days before the start, on ESL SILVER LIVE and on ESL GOLD 5 hours after it’s finished).
Example:
Within one round of Polish Ekstraklasa, we could decide that:
Górnik Zabrze - Piast Gliwice game will be covered from the venue by a Scout using a mobile phone, so Event Stats Level for live coverage is going to be set on SILVER
Wisła Kraków - Legia Warszawa game will be covered in front of TV and a Scout will be capable of adding lineups and player names per important incidents, so Event Stats Level for live coverage is going to be set on GOLD
Raków Częstochowa - Śląsk Wrocław game will be provided by an external provider that can only offer live stats compatible with our Silver ones, so Event Stats Level for live coverage is going to be set on SILVER
For the Jagiellonia - Pogoń Szczecin game we have no Scout who would cover the match from the venue, no coverage on TV and our external provider can only supply us with a live score, so Event Stats Level for live coverage is going to be set on BRONZE
Event Stats Level + (ESL+)
Event Stats Level is a fundamental set of details and statistics that we guarantee for a selected single Game within a set level. However, we always want to collect as many stats as possible, and there is always a chance there could be one (or more) single statistic that could be collected within the selected game as an add-on, but it may not be enough to rise the whole event’s ESL to a higher level. And this is where the “+” indicator comes in.
We can’t rise Event Stats Level until all guaranteed stats are provided on a higher level, but we can inform our partners that we have some additional stats within the selected event on the current level.
Example:
We have a Manchester United - Liverpool game to be delivered by a Scout from TV, and he is capable of delivering all the details and stats that are guaranteed on ESL GOLD, which is the base level that will be set.
However we also asked him to deliver for this game one more statistic named ‘Assists’, that isn’t among the guaranteed stats for ESL GOLD (we have ‘Assists’ guaranteed for ESL VIP).
The Scout will provide this additional statistic, however he wouldn’t be able to add all other stats that are required on ESL VIP, so we can’t set the whole event to ESL VIP.
As a final result, we will inform our partner that Manchester United - Liverpool will have ESL GOLD+ with an information that an add-on stat named ‘Assists’ is also available.
Event Stats Level Live (ESL Live)
This parameter is related to a single Game and gives you a heads-up information what level of statistics we aim to provide LIVE. This parameter is mostly used as a source of pre match knowledge for our play-by-play products: ScoutsFeed, LivematchPro, but also SportsAPI’s Livescore add-ons.
The higher the ESL is, the deeper stats and more incidents will be provided LIVE.
Event Stats Level After (ESL After)
This parameter is related to a single Game and gives you a heads-up information what level of statistics we aim to provide post-match. This parameters is very handy for those of our SportsAPI partners that aim to reach out for single events in-depth stats. Looking ahead in the fixtures you will know few days/weeks before what level of stats will be provided after the game is finished.
The higher the ESL is, the deeper stats and more incidents will be provided post-match.
Season Stats Level (SSL)
This parameter is related to a full Season. We use this parameter to inform our current and future partners that selected Season from a selected Competition consists of a selected number and depth of statistics collected depending on the level.
When using our API, with every Season Stats Level you will also see a stats level set not only to a single season, but to a whole competition. Keep in mind though that stats level for competition is always the same, as Season Stats Level for the current active season. That is why we suggest to ignore this field and focus on Season Stats Level.
We have 4 different levels of statistics collected within a single season:
VIP
fixtures, results, basic standings and extended standings
the most in-depth stats we could collect within a selected sport
very often collected by two Scouts during live coverage
consists of deep and extensive stats per teams (participants), but also per players (subparticipants) involved in the event
majority of the seasons with STATSCORE as an official sports data provider
GOLD
fixtures, results, basic standings and extended standings
exhaustive statistics within a selected sport, however, required data must be provided either on the official website of the competition, or through other verified sources to be available for database entry
very often collected by a Scout live, but this is neither a rule nor a must have obligation
consists of deep stats per teams (participants), but also selected ones per players (subparticipants) involved in the event
SILVER
fixtures, results and basic standings
basic statistics collected for teams (participants) taking part in the event (limited sub-participants/players statistics depending on sport e.g. goal scorers in soccer)
very often collected by a Scout using a mobile phone focused on team stats only (no team lineups available)
BRONZE
fixtures, results and basic standings
In order to have a correct Season stats we have to be focused all season long. This requires detailed and patient work on every game that is being played within the season, because Season stats work as a sum of the stats collected from every single event protocol within the season.
SSL VIP season
all games must have ESL VIP verified not later than within 24 hours after they are finished
SSL GOLD season
all games must have ESL GOLD or VIP verified not later than within 24 hours after they are finished
SSL SILVER season
all games must have ESL SILVER, GOLD or VIP verified not later than within 24 hours after they are finished
SSL BRONZE season
all ESL are accepted, no protocol verification involved
Example:
English Premier League 2020/21 is on Season Stats Level GOLD, as we as a company declared we collect statistics on this level. It means that in 380 games that are held within that season, we need to have every each of them on Event Stats Level GOLD or higher (VIP). Only in this scenario can we be sure that Season stats are correct. Even if just one game is covered on Event Stats Level BRONZE or SILVER, the full-season stats are incomplete because they lack data from that particular event, and are therefore incorrect for the complete season.
Season Stats Level (SSL+)
Season Stats Level is a fundamental set of details and statistics that we guarantee for a selected Season from a selected Competition. However, we always want to collect as many stats as possible, and there is always a chance there could be one (or more) statistic that could be collected as an add-on even on a such long distance as full season. Yet it may not be enough to rise the whole season’s SSL to a higher level. And this is where the “+” indicator comes in.
It’s very similar to what you have already read about ESL+. The main difference is that this time the “+” indicator refers to statistics that are collected as ad-ons (beyond guaranteed) on a full season basis (ESL+ applies to a single event).
Example:
English Premier League 2020/21 is on Season Stats Level GOLD, as we as a company declared we collect statistics on this level. This is the fundament we guarantee, however we have a reliable source that allows us to also collect ‘Assists’ within the full season. This means we will change ESL GOLD into GOLD+. It will also require us to have all the 380 games held within this season to be delivered on Event Stats Level GOLD+ or higher. Only in this scenario can we be sure that Season stats are correct, and we can inform our partners that the additional statistic is also correct.
Myths
There are several rules that happen to be believed in but aren't true, and this section is to clear them up:
NOT every LIVE coverage provided by a Scout has to be on ESL GOLD
we can cover a game on the phone on ESL SILVER and if the game is from SSL GOLD, then AFTER the game the proper stats will be added to event protocol
NOT every event from SSL GOLD has to be run LIVE by a Scout
it’s our internal decision what live provider we use per event, depending on various factors
Examples:
We can have e.g. Liga Portugal in Soccer on SSL GOLD
150 games were LIVE on ESL GOLD, 100 games on ESL SILVER and 56 games on ESL BRONZE (306 games in total within the season)
150 games will have proper data already entered live, while 100 Silver games and 56 Bronze games will require proper stats to be added after the game
EVERY game from 306 ones within the season has to be on ESL GOLD (or VIP) but it doesn’t have to be LIVE
We can have e.g. Serbian Super Liga in Soccer on SSL BRONZE
50 games were LIVE on ESL GOLD, 50 games on ESL SILVER and 280 on ESL BRONZE (380 games in total within the season)
100 games (50 Gold and 50 Silver) will have more stats within the protocol than required, but we declared that the full Season is Bronze, so we will not add anything more here (on SSL BRONZE all protocols are verified automatically if only the game final and partial results are correct).