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.
6 articles
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
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.
The 2030 World Cup Format, Explained: 48 Teams, 6 Countries, 104 Matches
The 2030 World Cup format: 48 teams, 12 groups of four, a round of 32, and 104 matches across Spain, Portugal, and Morocco — plus three centenary openers in South America. Every rule, explained.
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
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 the NFL Schedule Is Determined: The Full Formula, Explained
Every one of the 272 games is set by a public formula — here's exactly how the 17-game slate comes together, and why 48 games wait on the standings.