How to run an NFL pool
An NFL pool is the easiest way to make seventeen weeks of football mean something to your whole group. This guide covers the three formats that actually work for offices and friend groups — weekly pick'em, survivor, and squares — with scoring setups, deadlines, and the small rules that prevent big arguments.
Pick your format (and stick to it)
Weekly pick'em — everyone picks the winner of every game, every week. One point per correct pick, highest season total wins. It's the fairest format: nobody is eliminated, and a bad week never kills anyone's interest.
Survivor — pick one team per week; if they win, you advance, and you can't use that team again. One loss and you're out. Survivor produces drama and a fast finish, but half your pool will be spectators by week 8 — run it alongside pick'em, not instead of it.
Squares — a 10×10 grid where each square maps to the last digit of each team's score. Pure luck, zero skill, perfect for the casual half of your group. Best saved for the playoff run and the championship game in February.
Scoring setups that work
For pick'em, plain 1-point-per-correct-pick is the right default. Confidence points (ranking picks 16-to-1 by confidence) rewards real football knowledge but doubles your explaining time — only use it if your group already knows the format.
- Tiebreaker: guess the total points of the Monday night game, closest wins. Write this rule down before week 1.
- Weekly prizes vs season prizes: a small weekly prize keeps eliminated-feeling players engaged deep into December.
- Deadline: lock picks at each game's kickoff. 'First game of the week' lockouts punish West-Coast players unfairly.
Running it without becoming a spreadsheet goblin
The weekly routine that works: deadline reminder the day before games, results posted the morning after the last game, standings updated in the same place every time. Automate all three with the tools linked below instead of maintaining a spreadsheet — the pool manager's job should take ten minutes a week, not two hours.
One firm rule about money: MatchupKing never touches it. If your group plays for a prize, collect and pay out offline and keep it out of the tool entirely.
FAQ
How many people do you need for an NFL pool?
Pick'em works with 3–300 people; survivor gets tense with 10+; squares needs enough people to fill the grid (up to 100 squares — sell them in pairs if your group is small).
What's the fairest scoring for an office pick'em pool?
One point per correct pick, season-long total, Monday-night total points as the tiebreaker. It's transparent, everyone stays alive all season, and there's nothing to dispute.
When should picks lock?
At each game's kickoff. It's the only rule that doesn't create edge cases — nobody can sneak a Thursday pick in on Sunday, and nobody loses a pick to a timezone.
Related guides
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We never collect, hold, or pay out money — prizes between friends are yours to organize offline.