MOCKSLATE

How scheduling works

Every league schedule starts with a formula. These articles explain the machinery: how the NFL's rotation decides all 17 opponents before dates exist, how World Cup qualifying and draw pots determine who plays whom, and the rules underneath the fixtures fans take for granted. Start here to understand why schedules look the way they do.

9 articles

CBS or FOX: How the NFL Decides Who Broadcasts Your Team — artwork
Pro FootballUpdated Oct 3, 2026

CBS or FOX: How the NFL Decides Who Broadcasts Your Team

Why your team's game is on CBS or FOX, how NFL cross-flexing works, why you get two games on one network, and who calls the top game in 2026.

2030 World Cup Stadiums and Host Cities — Complete Guide — artwork
International SoccerUpdated Oct 17, 2026

2030 World Cup Stadiums and Host Cities — Complete Guide

Explore the 2030 World Cup stadiums and host cities across Spain, Morocco, Portugal, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, including capacities and construction updates.

2030 World Cup Final Stadium: Bernabéu vs. Camp Nou vs. Hassan II — artwork
International SoccerUpdated Oct 17, 2026

2030 World Cup Final Stadium: Bernabéu vs. Camp Nou vs. Hassan II

FIFA hasn't chosen the 2030 World Cup Final stadium. Compare Madrid's Bernabéu, Barcelona's Camp Nou and Morocco's 115,000-seat Hassan II Stadium.

World Cup 2030 Draw: How the Pots Work and When It Happens — artwork
International SoccerUpdated Aug 6, 2026

World Cup 2030 Draw: How the Pots Work and When It Happens

FIFA hasn't announced the 2030 World Cup draw date or pot structure. Here's how the 2026 draw actually worked — pots, seeding, constraints — and what that precedent projects for 2030, clearly labeled.

How World Cup Qualifying Works, Confederation by Confederation — artwork
International SoccerUpdated Sep 4, 2026

How World Cup Qualifying Works, Confederation by Confederation

How teams qualify for the World Cup: six confederations, six separate competitions, and an intercontinental playoff for the last places — plus where every 2030 qualifying format stands today.

2030 World Cup Format: 48 Teams, 6 Hosts, 104 Matches — artwork
International SoccerUpdated Oct 17, 2026

2030 World Cup Format: 48 Teams, 6 Hosts, 104 Matches

2030 World Cup format: 48 teams, 12 groups, a round of 32, 104 matches in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, plus three centenary openers in South America.

What a 64-Team World Cup Would Mean: Who Gets In That Never Has — artwork
International SoccerUpdated Aug 5, 2026

What a 64-Team World Cup Would Mean: Who Gets In That Never Has

FIFA is studying a one-off 64-team World Cup for 2030 — 16 groups, 128 matches. What the proposal says, where every confederation stands, and which never-qualified nations would finally get their shot.

Who Has to Give Up a Home Game for International Football? The Rules, Explained — artwork
Pro FootballUpdated Jul 27, 2026

Who Has to Give Up a Home Game for International Football? The Rules, Explained

Jacksonville has surrendered a home game to London twelve seasons running. Dallas never has. The rules that decide which fans lose a Sunday — and the 2026 vote that just took away every team's ability to say no.

How Is the NFL Schedule Determined? The Formula, Explained — artwork
Pro FootballUpdated Sep 18, 2026

How Is the NFL Schedule Determined? The Formula, Explained

Every NFL game follows one public formula: six division games, four against an AFC division, four against an NFC division, three set by standings.