SportsML includes the concept of a Resource File -- an externally-maintained listing of metadata codes, symbols, or choices -- which help partners to standardize on how they refer to different components of sports data.
The IPTC is committed to maintaining several key Resource Files. However, users of SportsML are offered the option of maintaining their own Resource Files, should the IPTC offerings not meet their needs.
SportsML includes one set of Resource Files that are usable for all sports.
Per-league Resource Files can be built to fill in league-specific metadata.
The IPTC plans to maintian one set of Common Resource Files. It is also proposing to appoint Resource File Delegates who have volunteered to keep the various Per-League Resource Files up to date. A central repository maintained by the IPTC would link to the Resource Files maintained by these delegates.
All Resource File information is currently being stored in a single Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. In the future, this information will most probably be moved to an XML-based format.