API & Data Access
Last updated: June 2026
Overview
A public REST API for Referee.Observer is on our roadmap. In the meantime, structured data access is available on request for federations, researchers, and media who need our match-official records in a machine-readable form. There are no public authentication keys or self-service credentials to issue yet.
What data is available
Subject to the terms of an access arrangement, the kinds of data we can make available mirror the entities the platform is built on:
- Officials — referees, assistants, fourth officials, VAR/AVAR operators, and observers.
- Appointments — the links between officials, matches, and roles.
- Competitions — leagues, cups, and tournaments, organised by season.
- Matches — fixtures with their officials and, where available, results.
- Venues — stadiums, with their associated cities and countries.
For precise definitions of each role and entity, and how statistics are derived, see our methodology.
Structured data today
The site is already machine-readable. Pages across Referee.Observer expose schema.org structured data as JSON-LD, so search engines and other automated consumers can understand the entities and relationships on each page without a dedicated API.
Requesting access
To discuss structured data access, or to register interest in the forthcoming REST API, contact us at api@referee.observer. Please describe your use case and the data you are interested in so we can route your request appropriately.