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The Magic Sponge editorial team · reviewed 17 October 2026
Prediction Record and accuracy method
A prediction record is useful only when it proves what was available before kick-off. The Magic Sponge therefore separates mutable pre-match candidates, immutable locks and verified final results.
Missing information is labelled as unavailable. The guide does not infer unavailable football facts.
Use the Contact page with the relevant match or page and an authoritative supporting source.
A candidate is not a locked prediction
Before the ten-minute lock window, a prediction can update as the relevant pre-match inputs change. The candidate is saved durably so a visitor is never shown a forecast that cannot survive to the Results ledger, but it is still allowed to refresh.
This distinction matters because an early view is not the final point-in-time statement. Treating the first generated output as permanent would make a later, better-supported pre-match assessment impossible.
The ten-minute lock is the evidence point
Inside the ten minutes before the official kick-off, the site writes one complete immutable snapshot. It contains the result selection, probabilities, expected score, confidence and any supported player, card or set-piece material.
Once locked, the snapshot has an integrity checksum. The result ledger reads that stored record after full time; it does not rewrite it from a cache or calculate it after the outcome is known.
How outcome accuracy is calculated
A standard home, draw or away selection is correct when it matches the verified final outcome. A double-chance selection is correct when the actual result is one of its two allowed outcomes. The calculation preserves the selection that was locked before kick-off.
The accuracy denominator includes only matches that have both a verified final score and an intact locked prediction. It does not treat a missing historical prediction as a failed forecast.
How to use the Results page honestly
Read the stored prediction beside the final score and the supported verified events. The aim is to see what the site said beforehand, not to imply it predicted every detail correctly.
Where the record says No locked prediction, the honest conclusion is that there is no authentic snapshot to evaluate. The final score remains useful football information, but it should not be used to make an accuracy claim.
Use the live tool
Read the guide, then check the current data
Current football information
For an actual fixture, current form or final score, use the linked live tool. This guide explains the method; it does not replace current provider data.
Limitations matter
Schedules can change, player data can be unavailable and a forecast can be wrong. Read the status label on the relevant live page before relying on any information.
Questions or corrections
Contact support@themagicsponge.co.uk or use the Contact page. Please include the page or match and a reliable supporting source.