diff --git a/src/config/sportCadence.js b/src/config/sportCadence.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d9231c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/sportCadence.js
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+'use strict';
+
+/**
+ * Per-sport snapshot cadence (Job 1) — the config that replaces baseball's
+ * one-size-fits-all rhythm.
+ *
+ * WHY THIS EXISTS
+ * The snapshot cron fired every ACTIVE sport at all five MLB slots
+ * (14/19/22/1/3 UTC). But sports post their lines on entirely different
+ * clocks, so that inheritance was wasteful in two directions:
+ *   - WNBA props aren't posted at 14:00 UTC (10am ET) → that slot always
+ *     graded 0 for WNBA (the "wnba:0" the audit flagged). Wasted work.
+ *   - Soccer odds come from the odds-api key (500/MONTH, scarce). Running it
+ *     at five slots/day is a third of the monthly budget for 1–2 matches.
+ *
+ * THE RULE: high frequency only when a sport's lines actually post/move,
+ * near-zero otherwise. This is a SCHEDULING fix, not a volume one — "never a
+ * gap" must never become "pull constantly", because burning the odds-api
+ * quota by noon means nothing all afternoon (strictly worse than a gap).
+ *
+ * QUOTA HEADROOM (mapped from reality, 2026-07):
+ *   - PropLine (mlb/nba/wnba props): 3 keys × 3,000/day = 9,000/day. Abundant.
+ *     Five slots × a few sports × intraday is a rounding error against that.
+ *   - The Odds API (soccer props + futures): 500/MONTH. Every soccer slot is
+ *     ~1 credit. So soccer gets the fewest, best-timed slots and NO intraday
+ *     refresh (a 20-min soccer refresh would burn ~36 credits/day = the whole
+ *     month in ~2 weeks).
+ *
+ * DESIGN CONSTRAINT (low blast radius): every sport's hours are a SUBSET of the
+ * scheduler's firing grid (snapshotScheduler.HOURS_UTC, default 14/19/22/1/3).
+ * The scheduler still fires at those hours; this config just decides WHICH
+ * sports run at each one. Keeping the union inside the grid means the
+ * missed-cron watchdog (which references MLB) needs no change. If a sport ever
+ * genuinely needs an hour outside the grid, add it to HOURS_UTC too AND scope
+ * the overdue watchdog to MLB's hours (see snapshotScheduler).
+ *
+ * POSTING RHYTHMS (why each sport gets the hours it does):
+ *   - mlb   — games + props all day; the full grid is correct. Keep 14/19/22/1/3.
+ *   - nba   — off-season now (self-skips empty on PropLine, ~0 cost); in-season
+ *             posts morning→afternoon ET. The full grid fits both. Keep.
+ *   - wnba  — games tip evening ET; props post ~afternoon ET. 19 UTC (3pm ET)
+ *             catches early games, 22 UTC (6pm ET) the bulk, 1 UTC (9pm ET) the
+ *             west-coast lock. 14 UTC (10am ET) and 3 UTC (11pm ET, games done)
+ *             are dropped — that's the wasted "wnba:0" slot removed.
+ *   - soccer— World Cup live now (final Jul 19), club leagues resume Aug. Lines
+ *             post well ahead and barely move; two well-placed odds-api reads
+ *             (14 UTC morning research, 19 UTC pre-afternoon-match lock) cover a
+ *             match day for ~2 credits. NO intraday (protects the 500/mo key).
+ *
+ * config-over-constants: to retune a sport, edit ONLY this table.
+ */
+
+const SPORT_CADENCE = Object.freeze({
+  mlb:    { hours: [14, 19, 22, 1, 3], intraday: true,  source: 'propline' },
+  nba:    { hours: [14, 19, 22, 1, 3], intraday: true,  source: 'propline' },
+  wnba:   { hours: [19, 22, 1],        intraday: true,  source: 'propline' },
+  soccer: { hours: [14, 19],           intraday: false, source: 'odds-api' },
+});
+
+const ALL_SPORTS = Object.freeze(Object.keys(SPORT_CADENCE));
+
+// The union of every sport's snapshot hours — the set the scheduler must fire
+// at so no sport's slot is missed. Kept for the cross-check that this union is
+// a subset of the scheduler grid.
+const ALL_HOURS = Object.freeze(
+  [...new Set(ALL_SPORTS.flatMap((s) => SPORT_CADENCE[s].hours))].sort((a, b) => a - b),
+);
+
+/**
+ * sportsForHour — which sports are scheduled to snapshot at this UTC hour.
+ * @param {number} hour UTC hour 0..23
+ * @param {string[]} [sports] restrict to this candidate set (defaults to all)
+ * @returns {string[]}
+ */
+function sportsForHour(hour, sports = ALL_SPORTS) {
+  const h = Number(hour);
+  return sports.filter((s) => SPORT_CADENCE[s] && SPORT_CADENCE[s].hours.includes(h));
+}
+
+/** intradaySports — sports that opt into the 20-min intraday line refresh.
+ *  Soccer is excluded on purpose (odds-api quota). */
+function intradaySports(sports = ALL_SPORTS) {
+  return sports.filter((s) => SPORT_CADENCE[s] && SPORT_CADENCE[s].intraday);
+}
+
+/** hoursFor — a single sport's snapshot hours (empty array if unknown). */
+function hoursFor(sport) {
+  const c = SPORT_CADENCE[String(sport || '').toLowerCase()];
+  return c ? c.hours.slice() : [];
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  SPORT_CADENCE,
+  ALL_SPORTS,
+  ALL_HOURS,
+  sportsForHour,
+  intradaySports,
+  hoursFor,
+};
diff --git a/src/services/snapshotService.js b/src/services/snapshotService.js
index 6fb7d7d..7e7af25 100644
--- a/src/services/snapshotService.js
+++ b/src/services/snapshotService.js
@@ -457,9 +457,16 @@ async function runSnapshot(sport, opts = {}) {
 }
 
 /** Run snapshots for every active sport sequentially (cron entrypoint). */
+// Job 1 — `opts.sports` scopes the run to a subset (the scheduler passes the
+// hour's per-sport cadence). Absent → every ACTIVE sport (the on-demand
+// /api/internal/snapshot/all behaviour is unchanged). runSnapshot ignores the
+// extra key.
 async function runAllSnapshots(opts = {}) {
+  // An EXPLICIT array is honored verbatim (even empty = run nothing); only an
+  // ABSENT `sports` key means "every active sport" (on-demand /all).
+  const sports = Array.isArray(opts.sports) ? opts.sports : ACTIVE_SPORTS;
   const results = [];
-  for (const sp of ACTIVE_SPORTS) {
+  for (const sp of sports) {
     results.push(await runSnapshot(sp, opts));
   }
   return results;
diff --git a/src/snapshotScheduler.js b/src/snapshotScheduler.js
index 1674c53..134fd96 100644
--- a/src/snapshotScheduler.js
+++ b/src/snapshotScheduler.js
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ const HOURS_UTC = (process.env.SNAPSHOT_HOURS_UTC || '14,19,22,1,3')
   .map((n) => parseInt(n, 10))
   .filter((n) => Number.isInteger(n) && n >= 0 && n <= 23);
 
+// Job 1 — per-sport cadence. The scheduler still FIRES at HOURS_UTC (and the
+// missed-cron watchdog still references MLB, which runs at every grid hour), but
+// each slot grades only the sports whose lines actually post/move then, and only
+// PropLine-backed sports get the 20-min intraday refresh (soccer is odds-api
+// quota-gated). All of that lives in the config table, not here.
+const cadence = require('./config/sportCadence');
+
 // Session 56 — missed-cron detection (pure, testable).
 // The latest scheduled hour:00 (UTC) at or before `date`. null if none in 48h.
 function mostRecentExpectedSlot(date, hours = HOURS_UTC) {
@@ -204,9 +211,12 @@ function startSnapshotScheduler(opts = {}) {
       }
     } catch { /* alarm evaluation must never break the tick */ }
     try {
-      const results = await runAll();
+      // Job 1 — only the sports whose cadence includes this hour. MLB runs every
+      // grid hour; WNBA skips 14/3 UTC (props not posted); soccer runs 14/19 only.
+      const scheduled = cadence.sportsForHour(h);
+      const results = await runAll({ sports: scheduled });
       const ok = results.filter((r) => r.status === 'ok');
-      console.log(`[snapshot] cron fired ${h}:00 UTC — ${ok.length}/${results.length} sports graded`);
+      console.log(`[snapshot] cron fired ${h}:00 UTC — ${ok.length}/${results.length} sports graded (scheduled: ${scheduled.join(',') || 'none'})`);
       // Session 63 (A1-S4) — after the day's FIRST slot, tell Kev the media
       // pack is ready. One ping, only when something actually graded.
       if (h === HOURS_UTC[0] && ok.length > 0) {
@@ -251,7 +261,9 @@ function startSnapshotScheduler(opts = {}) {
     if (slot === lastRefreshSlot) return;
     lastRefreshSlot = slot;
     try {
-      const results = await refreshAll();
+      // Job 1 — only PropLine-backed sports refresh intraday (9k/day headroom).
+      // Soccer is excluded: a 20-min odds-api refresh would drain the 500/mo key.
+      const results = await refreshAll({ sports: cadence.intradaySports() });
       const touched = results.filter((r) => r.status === 'ok');
       const revised = results.reduce((n, r) => n + (r.revised || 0), 0);
       if (touched.length > 0) console.log(`[intraday] refresh — ${touched.length} sports, ${revised} public revisions`);
@@ -263,6 +275,15 @@ function startSnapshotScheduler(opts = {}) {
   const interval = setInterval(() => { void tick(); void refreshTick(); }, 60_000);
   if (interval.unref) interval.unref();
   console.log(`[snapshotScheduler] armed — SNAPSHOT_CRON=${process.env.SNAPSHOT_CRON}, hours=${HOURS_UTC.join(',')} UTC, intraday=${process.env.INTRADAY_REFRESH === '0' ? 'off' : `${REFRESH_MINUTES}m (slate hours)`}`);
+  // Job 1 — state each sport's cadence at boot so "when does WNBA grade?" is
+  // answerable from logs, and warn if a sport is scheduled at an hour the
+  // scheduler never fires (it would silently never run).
+  const cadenceSummary = cadence.ALL_SPORTS.map((s) => `${s}=${cadence.hoursFor(s).join('/') || '—'}${cadence.SPORT_CADENCE[s].intraday ? '' : ' (no intraday)'}`).join('  ');
+  console.log(`[snapshotScheduler] per-sport cadence — ${cadenceSummary}`);
+  const orphanHours = cadence.ALL_HOURS.filter((h) => !HOURS_UTC.includes(h));
+  if (orphanHours.length > 0) {
+    console.warn(`[snapshotScheduler] WARNING — sports scheduled at ${orphanHours.join(',')} UTC but the scheduler never fires then (not in hours=${HOURS_UTC.join(',')}); those slots will silently never run. Add them to SNAPSHOT_HOURS_UTC.`);
+  }
   // Session 61 — settlement is scheduled IN THIS tick (settleAllOutcomes +
   // settleAllLedgers run FIRST at every snapshot slot, before grading). It
   // was invisible at boot, which made "is settlement scheduled?" unanswerable
diff --git a/tests/unit/sportCadence.test.js b/tests/unit/sportCadence.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1316ca7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/sportCadence.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// Job 1 — per-sport snapshot cadence config. Locks the posting-rhythm map and
+// the two quota-discipline invariants so a future edit can't silently
+// reintroduce baseball's one-size-fits-all rhythm.
+
+const cadence = require('../../src/config/sportCadence');
+const { HOURS_UTC } = require('../../src/snapshotScheduler');
+
+describe('sportCadence', () => {
+  test('every sport is a subset of the scheduler firing grid (else it never runs)', () => {
+    // The scheduler only fires at HOURS_UTC; a sport hour outside that set would
+    // be silently dropped. This invariant is the whole reason the design keeps
+    // the union inside the grid.
+    for (const orphan of cadence.ALL_HOURS.filter((h) => !HOURS_UTC.includes(h))) {
+      throw new Error(`hour ${orphan} is scheduled for some sport but not in HOURS_UTC=${HOURS_UTC}`);
+    }
+    expect(cadence.ALL_HOURS.every((h) => HOURS_UTC.includes(h))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test('WNBA skips 14:00 UTC (props not posted) — the wasted "wnba:0" slot', () => {
+    expect(cadence.sportsForHour(14)).toContain('mlb');
+    expect(cadence.sportsForHour(14)).not.toContain('wnba');
+    // but WNBA DOES run at its real hours
+    expect(cadence.sportsForHour(22)).toContain('wnba');
+    expect(cadence.sportsForHour(1)).toContain('wnba');
+  });
+
+  test('soccer runs only its two lean odds-api slots, never the full grid', () => {
+    expect(cadence.hoursFor('soccer')).toEqual([14, 19]);
+    expect(cadence.sportsForHour(22)).not.toContain('soccer');
+    expect(cadence.sportsForHour(1)).not.toContain('soccer');
+    expect(cadence.sportsForHour(3)).not.toContain('soccer');
+  });
+
+  test('soccer is excluded from intraday (protects the 500/mo odds-api key)', () => {
+    expect(cadence.intradaySports()).not.toContain('soccer');
+    expect(cadence.intradaySports()).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(['mlb', 'nba', 'wnba']));
+  });
+
+  test('sportsForHour respects a candidate subset and unknown hours yield none', () => {
+    expect(cadence.sportsForHour(19, ['wnba', 'soccer'])).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(['wnba', 'soccer']));
+    expect(cadence.sportsForHour(7)).toEqual([]); // 7 UTC — nobody posts
+  });
+
+  test('mlb keeps the full baseball grid', () => {
+    expect(cadence.hoursFor('mlb')).toEqual([14, 19, 22, 1, 3]);
+  });
+});