1. Live Score Update Failure
Problem: Frontend was calling the API every 30 seconds causing rate limiting and failures. The api-score endpoint was returning {"success":false} and scores weren't updating on the frontend.
Solution:
- Separated concerns: Backend cron handles API calls, frontend reads from database
- The cron job pulls scores from ESPN/TheSportsDB APIs and saves to database
- Frontend endpoint now simply reads existing data instead of making new API calls
- Result: Faster response times, no rate limiting, reliable score updates
2. Missing Time Remaining Display
Problem: Game clock (time remaining) was not displaying during live games.
Solution:
- Added time_remaining column to pools table
- Updated cron to save time remaining from API to database
- Updated frontend to display time remaining during live games
- Shows quarter and time remaining (e.g., "Q3 - 5:24")
3. Overtime Handling Issues
Problem: When games went to overtime, the system tried to process "Quarter 5" winners, causing errors. Football squares only pay out for quarters 1-4.
Solution:
- System now recognizes overtime (Quarter 5+) but only processes winners for quarters 1-4
- When overtime starts, Quarter 4 winner is automatically closed out based on end-of-regulation score
- Game continues tracking live scores during overtime
- Frontend displays "OT" instead of "Q5" for clarity
- All 4 quarter payouts complete properly even if game goes to overtime
4. Mobile Winning Square Not Highlighted
Problem: On mobile devices, the winning square wasn't visually highlighted during live games.
Solution:
- Applied same winning square styling to mobile as desktop
- Winning square now pulses in gold with visible border
- Works correctly without breaking mobile grid layout
