Privacy Policy
How we collect, use and protect your data when you play StopPitching — explained in full, in plain language.
Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how stoppitching.com ("StopPitching", "we", "us", "the Operator") collects, uses, shares and protects information when you visit our website and use the Team Builder and points calculator. We wrote this policy to be read, not just filed away — if anything is unclear, contact us using the details in Section 17.
Who we are
StopPitching is an online-only, free-to-play fantasy football project. We don't maintain a public office, so we don't publish a registered company number on this page; if you need our full legal and corporate details for a specific, legitimate purpose (for example, a formal data protection request), write to us via the Privacy contact channel in Section 17 and we will provide what's required.
Scope of this policy
This policy covers stoppitching.com and every page linked from it, including the Team Builder, the points calculator, and all informational pages. It does not cover any other website, because StopPitching does not link out to third-party websites from within the game itself.
Information we collect
We try to collect as little as possible. Depending on how you use the site, this can include:
- Technical data: IP address, browser type, device type, and general location inferred from your IP (e.g. country/region).
- Usage data: pages visited, formation and squad choices made in the Team Builder, calculator inputs, and general interaction patterns.
- Cookie and local-storage data: preferences such as your cookie consent choices and, if you allow functional cookies, your last-used formation.
- Communications data: anything you send us directly, for example via the Contact page or by emailing one of our addresses.
How we collect information
Information reaches us in three ways: automatically as your browser loads and interacts with our pages, through cookies and similar local storage technologies described in our Cookie Policy, and directly from you when you choose to email us or use the contact form.
Legal basis for processing (GDPR)
Because we welcome visitors from Spain and the wider EU, we process personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) using one of the following legal bases for each activity:
- Consent — for optional analytics and advertising cookies, which you control through our cookie banner.
- Legitimate interest — for strictly necessary technical operation of the site and basic security logging.
- Contract / pre-contractual steps — where processing is needed to respond to a request you make of us, such as a support enquiry.
- Legal obligation — where we must retain or disclose information to comply with applicable law.
How we use your information
We use the information described above to: operate and maintain the Team Builder and calculator; remember your cookie preferences and, where allowed, your squad selections; understand in aggregate how the site is used so we can improve it; respond to messages sent through the Contact page; detect and prevent abuse or technical faults; and measure the performance of the advertising and affiliate model described in How It Works.
Data sharing and third parties
We do not sell personal data. We may share limited data with service providers who help us run the site, strictly to the extent needed for them to provide that service, including: hosting and infrastructure providers who store the site's files and serve pages to your browser; privacy-conscious analytics providers who help us understand aggregate usage; and advertising or affiliate partners, but only through cookie-based mechanisms you can decline, as described in our Cookie Policy. We do not name every provider on this page because our infrastructure changes over time, but we apply the same standards to all of them: data is only shared to the extent necessary, and only for the purposes described here.
International data transfers
Because our service providers may operate infrastructure outside your own country, your data may be processed in a different country than where you are located, potentially outside the European Economic Area. Where this happens, we require appropriate safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses or an equivalent legally recognised mechanism, to be in place before data is transferred.
Data retention
We keep personal data only as long as it's needed for the purpose it was collected for. Technical logs are typically retained for a limited operational window (generally no more than a few months) before being deleted or anonymised. Communications you send us are kept only as long as needed to resolve your enquiry and for a reasonable period afterwards in case of follow-up. Cookie consent records are kept until you clear your browser storage or withdraw consent.
Data security
We apply reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect information in our care, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), access restrictions to any systems that store data, and regular review of what we collect so that we don't hold more than we need. No online service can guarantee absolute security, but minimising what we collect in the first place is our main line of defence.
Your rights under GDPR
If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Spain specifically, you have the right to: access the personal data we hold about you; request correction of inaccurate data; request erasure of your data; restrict or object to certain processing; request a portable copy of data you provided to us; and withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent, without affecting processing carried out before withdrawal. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority — in Spain, this is the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD). To exercise any of these rights with us directly, use the Privacy contact details in Section 17.
Children's privacy
StopPitching is intended for users aged 18 and over, in line with the age restriction described in our Disclaimer and Terms & Conditions. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, we will delete it promptly.
Automated decision-making and profiling
The Team Builder and calculator perform calculations you directly trigger (for example, turning match statistics into fantasy points) based on rules that are published in full on the Team Builder page. These are simple, transparent calculations, not automated profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you, and we do not use your data to make automated decisions of that kind.
Cookies
Cookies and similar technologies are covered in full detail in our dedicated Cookie Policy, including exactly which categories of cookies we use, how long they last, and how to control them. We keep cookies and privacy in separate documents so each one stays readable.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example if we change service providers or add a new feature that processes data differently. When we make a material change, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page occasionally.
Contact us
Questions, corrections, or formal data protection requests can be sent to privacy@stoppitching.com. We aim to acknowledge privacy-related requests within a reasonable timeframe and to resolve formal GDPR requests within the timelines required by law. You can also reach our general team through the Contact page.