> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rffl.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Source of Truth

> How RFFL source authority works and how to treat provisional data.

The RFFL Knowledge Base separates source existence from source authority. A file can be useful and still be provisional.

Answers should follow the source hierarchy below. When sources conflict, use the higher-ranked source and name the conflict instead of blending the records.

## Authority Order

| Rank | Source                    | Use for                                                                                          |
| ---- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 1    | Commissioner confirmation | Final decisions, ambiguous historical facts, current league authority                            |
| 2    | Official platform records | ESPN Fantasy Football for 2011+ and archived Yahoo/Fanball records where available for 2002-2010 |
| 3    | Validated registry files  | Team codes, owners, aliases, divisions, and canonical identifiers                                |
| 4    | RFFL Operations Manual    | Rule interpretation, procedures, tiebreakers, playoffs, and payout rules                         |
| 5    | Finance records           | Collections and payout reconciliation where available                                            |
| 6    | Generated summaries       | Searchable recap pages derived from source data                                                  |
| 7    | Lore and narratives       | Context, stories, and institutional memory                                                       |

Generated summaries inherit authority from their inputs. A generated recap is not canonical merely because it exists.

## Common Question Routing

| Question type | Start with        | Then check                                                                 |
| ------------- | ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Rules         | Operations Manual | rulings and decisions                                                      |
| Season result | season page       | source recap and finance/KORM if money is involved                         |
| Team identity | team registry     | alias registry                                                             |
| Division name | division registry | season year                                                                |
| Payout amount | finance source    | season recap or Commissioner confirmation for recipient                    |
| Lore          | lore pages        | canonical source if the answer needs rule, standings, or finance authority |

## Status Labels

| Status              | Meaning                                            |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| canonical           | Authoritative and approved for reference           |
| validated           | Checked against an accepted source and safe to use |
| provisional         | Coherent enough for review, but not final          |
| draft               | Work in progress                                   |
| needs\_verification | Do not treat as final                              |

## Season Coverage Rule

For season pages, use the most specific status available:

| Coverage  | Default treatment                                                                                                                                                                 |
| --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 2002-2010 | Founding and pre-ESPN history. Use governance, registry, finance, and recovered archive records; award recipients are validated where cited, but do not infer standings or scores |
| 2011-2018 | Legacy ESPN-era structured history with thinner source coverage                                                                                                                   |
| 2019-2024 | Fuller ESPN-era structured data, usually provisional unless specifically validated                                                                                                |
| 2024      | Provisional transitional-era recap                                                                                                                                                |
| 2025      | Validated modern example unless a later correction supersedes it                                                                                                                  |
| 2026      | Partial staging data only                                                                                                                                                         |

Do not infer final standings, payouts, or rule conclusions from file presence alone. Use the cited pre-ESPN archive page for 2002-2010 award recipient claims.

## Source Families by Era

| Era          | Primary platform source                                 | Supporting sources                                    |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| 2002         | Yahoo Fantasy Sports archived records where available   | Governance, finance, team registry, division registry |
| 2003-2010    | Fanball Custom Leagues archived records where available | Governance, finance, team registry, division registry |
| 2011-present | ESPN Fantasy Football LM                                | Governance, finance, registries, generated recaps     |

ESPN is not the source of authority for 2002-2010 because ESPN league records begin in 2011.

## Placeholder Policy

Use explicit markers instead of invented data:

| Marker                        | Meaning                                       |
| ----------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| `[NEEDS VERIFICATION]`        | Data probably exists but has not been checked |
| `[DATA GAP]`                  | No known source currently exists              |
| `[CONFIRM WITH COMMISSIONER]` | Requires authority, not just lookup           |
| `[TBD]`                       | Structure is known, content is pending        |

Before promoting a page to canonical, resolve or document remaining placeholders.