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nhl · explainer

The NHL playoff format, explained

Sixteen teams, a divisional bracket, wild cards, and overtime that never stops. Ice hockey has the most punishing postseason in team sport.

2 min read

tennis · explainer

Tennis scoring, explained

Fifteen, thirty, forty, deuce. The strangest scoring system in sport, taken apart piece by piece.

2 min read

formula-1 · explainer

Formula 1 qualifying, explained

Three segments, two eliminations and one lap that decides Sunday. How the grid actually gets set.

2 min read

football · explainer

How the Champions League format works

One 36-team league phase, eight different opponents, and a knockout playoff round that did not exist a few seasons ago. Here is the whole structure in order.

2 min read

basketball · explainer

How the NBA playoffs work

Two conferences, a play-in tournament nobody wanted at first, and four rounds of best-of-seven basketball. The full route to the Finals.

2 min read

formula-1 · guide

A Formula 1 race weekend, explained for newcomers

Practice, qualifying, grid, strategy and the flags that matter — what is actually happening across three days.

1 min read

football · explainer

How promotion and relegation actually works

The mechanic that separates European league football from almost every other major sport, explained from first principles.

1 min read

basketball · explainer

Why the shot clock saved professional basketball

One rule, introduced in the mid-1950s, turned a stalling contest into the fastest major indoor sport.

1 min read

football · opinion

What actually makes a sports rivalry great

Proximity, stakes and grievance — the three ingredients every enduring rivalry shares, across every sport.

1 min read

nfl · explainer

The downs system is the whole point of American football

Four attempts, ten yards, and a decision on fourth down that defines how coaches think.

1 min read