Editorial Standards
How we verify sports content against primary federation rulebooks.
Our Review Process
Each guide goes through a four-step review before publication. We match every scoring rule, format, and sanction against the governing federation's current rulebook. We cite the rulebook edition, not a secondary article. We take FAQ questions from real Google searches, so the answers match what readers actually ask. We check the answer capsule for accuracy in the first 40 to 60 words, because that block is the one AI Overviews and featured snippets quote back.
- Primary source match — every rule traces to a current federation rulebook.
- Rulebook edition citation — we record the version and effective dates.
- FAQ grounding — questions come from real Google searches, not invented.
- Answer capsule accuracy — the opening 40–60 words hold up in isolation.
Review Cycle
Review cadence varies by sport because rulebooks revise on different schedules. Olympic sports that follow a quadrennial cycle (figure skating, gymnastics, ski jumping) get a hard review after every Olympic rulebook update and a spot check each season. Professional leagues with annual rule committees (NFL, NBA, MLB) get a hard review after each league's annual rule-change vote. Sports with continuous rule updates (football under IFAB, tennis under ITF) get quarterly spot checks.
| Federation type | Cadence | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Quadrennial rulebook | After each cycle + annual spot check | FIG, ISU, FIS |
| Annual competition committee | After the annual rule-change vote | NFL, NBA, MLB |
| Continuous revisions | Quarterly spot check | IFAB, ITF, ICC |
Primary Sources We Use
We cite federation rulebooks, not wikis or aggregators. The list below maps each sport we cover to its governing body. Where a sport has parallel national rulesets (college, high school, amateur), we cite the specific variant the guide addresses.
- Volleyball
- FIVB Official Rules of the Game, USA Volleyball Domestic Regulations, NCAA Women's Volleyball Rules, NFHS Volleyball Rules Book
- Football (Soccer)
- IFAB Laws of the Game, FIFA regulations, UEFA competition regulations
- American football
- NFL Rulebook, NCAA Football Rules, NFHS Football Rules Book
- Basketball
- FIBA Official Rules, NBA Rule Book, NCAA Men's/Women's Basketball Rules
- Ice hockey
- IIHF Rule Book, NHL Rules
- Tennis
- ITF Rules of Tennis, Grand Slam Rule Book, ATP/WTA rulebooks
- Cricket
- MCC Laws of Cricket, ICC Playing Conditions, BCCI IPL Playing Conditions
- Figure skating
- ISU Technical Rules, ISU Special Regulations, ISU Communications
- Artistic gymnastics
- FIG Code of Points, USA Gymnastics Rules and Policies
- Ski jumping, snowboarding, freestyle
- FIS Rule Books for the discipline, FIS Specifications
- Rugby
- World Rugby Laws of the Game, NRL Operations Manual, RFL Operational Rules
- Paralympic sports
- IPC Classification Code, World Para Alpine Skiing Rules, sport-specific Para federation rules
How We Respond to Rule Changes
When a federation publishes a rule change, we rework the affected guides inside two weeks for major changes (scoring logic, period length, penalty structure) and inside six weeks for minor changes (wording clarifications, equipment specs). Each affected guide carries a last-reviewed date and a next-review date visible on the page. If the rule change invalidates a published FAQ answer, we flag the guide with a revision note until the rewrite lands.
JudgeMate Editorial Team
The JudgeMate Editorial Team writes and edits every guide in-house. It is the same team that builds the scoring software. Before a guide goes live, we check it rule by rule against the current federation rulebook, and the page names the rulebook edition we checked it against. We publish under the Editorial Team byline rather than individual names, so readers judge a guide against the rulebook, not against a personal brand. Questions or corrections go to contact.judgemate@gmail.com. We publish corrections inside five business days.
Report an Error
Found a rule that no longer matches the current federation text, a broken source link, or a FAQ answer that reads wrong? Send the guide URL and the issue to contact.judgemate@gmail.com. We log every report, reply with an acknowledgement inside two business days, and publish the correction with a revision note.