Data Definitions¶

A reference guide to the sports data and betting terminology you'll encounter in Latency Lab. Whether you're a casual fan or a serious bettor, this page explains what each metric means and why it matters.

Hockey Terms¶

SOG — Shots on Goal¶

Shots that would have gone into the net if the goalie hadn't stopped them. A shot that hits the post or goes wide is not a shot on goal. This is the most basic measure of offensive pressure.

xG — Expected Goals¶

A probability score (between 0 and 1) that estimates how likely a shot is to become a goal. The calculation considers shot location, shot type, angle, distance, whether it was a rebound, and other context. An xG of 0.15 means the shot had roughly a 15% chance of scoring.

Why xG matters

A team can be outshot but still have higher xG if their shots come from more dangerous positions. It's a better measure of scoring quality than raw shot count.

CF — Corsi For¶

All shot attempts by a team, including goals, saves, misses, and blocked shots. Corsi is the broadest measure of puck possession and offensive engagement. A team with high Corsi is spending more time attacking.

FF — Fenwick For¶

Similar to Corsi, but excludes blocked shots. Fenwick counts goals, saves, and missed shots. Some analysts prefer Fenwick because a blocked shot never had a chance to reach the net.

PIM — Penalties in Minutes¶

The total penalty minutes assessed to a player or team. A minor penalty is 2 minutes, a major is 5 minutes, and a misconduct is 10 minutes.

TOI — Time on Ice¶

The total minutes a player spends on the ice during a game. Top players typically see 18-22 minutes per game, while top defensemen can exceed 25 minutes.

PP — Power Play¶

When a team has more players on the ice due to an opponent's penalty. A standard power play is 5-on-4. Power play percentage (PP%) measures how often a team scores during these advantages.

SH — Short Handed¶

The opposite of a power play. A team is short handed when they have fewer players on the ice because of their own penalty. A short-handed goal is scored by the team with fewer players.

EN — Empty Net¶

When a team pulls their goalie to add an extra skater, usually in the final minutes while trailing. The net is literally empty. Goals scored into an empty net are tracked separately because they don't reflect goalie performance.

Betting Terms¶

Moneyline¶

A straight bet on which team will win the game. No point spreads or handicaps involved. Odds are expressed as positive or negative numbers (e.g., -150 means bet $150 to win $100; +130 means bet $100 to win $130).

Spread / Puck Line¶

A handicap bet that gives one team a head start. In hockey, the standard puck line is -1.5 / +1.5. If you bet the favorite at -1.5, they need to win by 2 or more goals for your bet to pay out.

Over/Under¶

A bet on the total number of goals scored by both teams combined. The sportsbook sets a line (e.g., 5.5), and you bet on whether the actual total will be over or under that number.

Props¶

Player-specific bets tied to individual performance. Examples include betting on a player to score a goal, record an assist, or exceed a certain number of shots on goal.

Lag¶

The time delay between when an event happens on the ice and when the sportsbook adjusts its odds to reflect that event. Latency Lab tracks this in real time, showing you how quickly different books react.

Why lag matters for bettors

During a live game, sportsbooks constantly adjust their odds. A scout reporting events from the arena creates data that arrives before the official broadcast. The lag metric shows you the window between real-time and when books update.

Platform Terms¶

Relay Mode¶

The live reporting mode where a scout at the arena sends game events through the Latency Lab app. When relay mode is active, events appear in the feed before they show up on TV or in official data sources.

Scout¶

A person physically present at the arena who reports game events in real time using the app's gesture controls. Scouts swipe to record goals, penalties, face-offs, and other events as they happen.

Feed Event¶

A single game event displayed in the live feed. Feed events include goals, penalties, shots, face-offs, period changes, and more. Each event shows the time, type, and relevant details (player names, shot location, etc.).

An automatically generated URL created when you take a screenshot during a live game. The link leads to a landing page with basic game information and an invitation to download the app. See Screenshot Sharing for details.