Sports data is the foundation for many digital solutions: from betting and analytics to media platforms and fan applications. Sports APIs allow for automatic retrieval of match results, player statistics, odds, and historical data without manual data collection.
API-deporte — is a service that provides unified access to a variety of sports disciplines, including rugby, football, hockey, basketball, tennis, and esports. The platform is useful for:
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Developers creating sports websites and applications.
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Betting platforms that need fast and accurate odds.
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Sports media that require up-to-date results and statistics.
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Analysts and researchers working with Big Data and predictive models.
What is API‑sport?
An API is a programming interface that allows applications to exchange data. API-sport specializes in sports information and offers:
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Live data — match results in real time.
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Player and team statistics — goals, assists, cards, lineups.
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Archives of matches and seasons — the ability to analyze historical data.
The feature API-deporte — a wide coverage of sports, high update speed, and convenient data formats (JSON, XML, WebSocket). Unlike specialized Rugby APIs, API-sport is not limited to one discipline and is suitable for comprehensive integration into applications and analytical systems.
Rugby API
Rugby API specializes in one discipline and typically includes:
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Match results and league tables
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Odds for betting
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Team lineups and player statistics
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Transfers and team news
This makes Rugby API convenient for niche applications and services focused exclusively on rugby, but limits opportunities for multi-sport projects.
Deportes soportados
Rugby API is primarily focused on rugby. Some extended versions include data on other sports, but the coverage is very limited compared to API-sport, which supports:
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Fútbol
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Baloncesto
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Hockey
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Tennis
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Voleibol
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Esports and Fantasy Sports
Tecnologías y formatos
Most Rugby APIs use standard technologies:
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REST API for requests
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JSON or XML for data transmission
Some rare services support WebSocket for live updates, but more often you have to poll the server, which is slower and less reliable.
¿Cómo acceder a la API?
Connection to API-deporte starts with official registration and obtaining a key, after which you can choose a suitable tariff plan. Let’s take a closer look at this process.
Registration on the platform
The first step is registration on the official API-sport platform. This is necessary for the system to identify you as a user and issue a personal access key. Registration usually includes:
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Creating an account with an email and password.
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Confirming the account via e-mail.
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Entering basic information about the project or company that will use the API.
After registration, the user is provided with a control panel where they can track API activity, see request statistics, and manage tariffs.
Obtaining a personal API key
An API key is a unique code that provides secure access to the service. It is used with every request to the API so that the service understands who is making the request and what data they are allowed to receive.
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The key can be obtained immediately after registration.
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It cannot be shared with third parties — this will ensure the security of your project.
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In the control panel, you can create additional keys for different projects or teams.
Choosing a tariff plan
API-sport offers several tariff plans that differ in the volume of available data and the number of requests:
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The free tariff is intended for testing the service. It allows a limited number of requests per day and provides basic statistics and match results. It is great for experiments and small projects.
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Paid subscriptions provide full access to live data, match archives, advanced statistics for teams and players, odds, and transfers. They are suitable for commercial projects, applications, analytical platforms, and betting services.
RapidAPI, SportRadar y otras plataformas proporcionan acceso a BetsAPI y Livescore API a través de sus canales. Esto es conveniente para los desarrolladores que necesitan integraciones listas y SLA confiables.
In addition to direct connection through the official service, data API-deporte can be obtained through aggregators:
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RapidAPI — a platform where you can use APIs through a single interface and manage multiple APIs simultaneously.
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SportRadar — a service that provides sports data through its own API, including live scores and statistics.
It is important to consider that using third-party providers has its limitations. Firstly, live data may be delayed, which is especially critical for betting and analytical applications where the timeliness of information is important. Secondly, not all features and data are fully available — some statistics or odds may be limited. Additionally, often a separate subscription to the aggregator service is required to gain full access to the necessary information.
Los planes gratuitos generalmente incluyen acceso limitado a datos históricos y estadísticas básicas. Las suscripciones de pago desbloquean:
Plan gratuito:
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Limited number of requests per day.
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Access only to basic results and match statistics.
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Ideal for testing and small personal projects.
Planes de pago:
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Full access to live data, including real-time match updates.
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Ability to obtain archived data from past seasons and tournaments.
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Extended statistics for players, teams, odds, and transfers.
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Suitable for commercial projects, analytical platforms, and betting platforms where high accuracy and speed of data are needed.
Número de solicitudes por minuto/hora
Each plan API-deporte has its limitations that are important to consider during integration:
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Number of requests per minute or day — the free plan has a limit on the number of requests, while paid plans have significantly more.
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Speed of live data updates — with the free plan, data may be updated with a delay, while paid subscriptions provide instant updates.
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Access to archives — with the free plan, archived data may be limited or unavailable, while paid subscriptions provide full access to the entire database.
Integración de API
Ejemplos de conexión
Python:
importar solicitudes
url = «https://api.api-sport.ru/rugby/matches»
headers = {«X-API-Key»: «YOUR_API_KEY»}
respuesta = solicitudes.get(url, encabezados=encabezados)
data = response.json()
print(data)
JavaScript:
fetch(«https://api.api-sport.ru/rugby/matches», {
headers: { «X-API-Key»: «YOUR_API_KEY» }
})
.then(res => res.json())
.then(data => console.log(data));
Integración en CMS y aplicaciones móviles
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WordPress — via REST API plugins or custom widgets
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Android/iOS — connection via Retrofit, Alamofire, or native HTTP clients
Uso de datos en vivo a través de WebSocket
WebSocket allows for instant updates without constant requests to the server (polling). This is especially important for betting and sports analytics, where speed of response is crucial.
¿Dónde se utiliza?
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Betting and odds scanners — automatic data updates for bets
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Sports analytics and predictions — historical data and player statistics
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Media and fan applications — real-time results and broadcasts
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Fantasy Sports and esports — dynamic updates of rosters and results
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BI systems and Big Data projects — integration into analytical platforms and forecasting models
Ventajas y desventajas
Ventajas:
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Wide coverage of sports, including rugby
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Alta velocidad de actualización de datos
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Accuracy and completeness of statistics
Contras:
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Paid plans for full access
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Basic integration skills required
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Limitations of the free plan
Rugby API lags behind in versatility, speed, and the number of supported disciplines, but may be cheaper for niche projects focused solely on rugby.
En resumen
API-sport significantly outperforms Rugby API in several key metrics. First, in versatility: API-sport covers dozens of sports, including football, hockey, basketball, tennis, esports, and of course, rugby, while Rugby API is limited exclusively to this discipline. Second, in data update speed — live results, roster changes, and player statistics come instantly, which is especially important for betting and sports analytics. Third, in the volume and variety of data: API-sport provides not only current match results but also archival data, detailed statistics of teams and players, odds, transfers, and other metrics that allow building forecasting models and conducting analytical research.
Thanks to these capabilities API-deporte it is ideal for application developers, betting platforms, sports media, analysts, and researchers who need access to a wide range of data in a convenient format. At the same time, Rugby API remains a niche tool focused solely on rugby and does not provide such flexibility and scalability for multi-sport projects.
Preguntas frecuentes
¿Hay acceso gratuito a API-sport?
Yes, the basic plan allows testing the service with a limited number of requests.
¿Qué deportes son compatibles?
Football, hockey, basketball, tennis, rugby, esports, and others.
¿Es la API adecuada para apuestas?
Yes, live results, odds, and player statistics are available.
¿Cómo conectar la API a la aplicación?
Via REST requests, WebSocket, or integration through CMS and mobile SDKs.
¿Se puede usar la API para predicciones?
Yes, archival data and statistics allow building forecasting models.
How to access live data faster?
Use WebSocket instead of polling for instant updates.






