[steventhedev]

I suppose if you need a style guide for SQL, then you're likely in the business of building databases to be accessed by multiple applications. However, be aware that the majority of applications are initially developed using a database as a data store, alongside opinionated ORM systems that will prefer a specific naming convention (such as plural forms).

Speaking from experience, you can't even expect native speakers to know all the collective forms. Worse, in some cases the collective form may cause confusion if the collective is the singular of a different table (players in a team, teams in a league, doing a fantasy football league app).

Using the plural, your schema would be player -> team -> league. Using your system, it would be team -> league -> sport. Good luck explaining that to a new hire.

[Treffynnon]

No, actually the collective of player isn't team in this case.

Not all players will be on the same team, but they still participate in the league so I disagree with this example terminology shift.

You would end up with a slightly more generalised naming like this in my opinion:

- athletes - teams - leagues

In this particular case there are no suitable collective terms.