A football pool is a game where a group picks the winner of NFL games each week, scores a point for every correct pick, and ranks everyone on one leaderboard across the season. To run one, choose a format, agree the rules on ties, missed picks and bye weeks before Week 1, and give everyone one place to make their picks. The 2027 regular season is 18 weeks and 272 games.
What are the common football pool formats?
Four formats cover almost every office. They fit the same NFL schedule and produce very different seasons.
| Format | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Pick’em | Pick the winner of every game. One point per correct pick. | Mixed groups where half the office could not name a starter |
| Confidence | Pick every winner, then rank the games from most to least sure. A correct pick scores its rank. | People who watch and want a harder game |
| Survivor | Pick one team a week. You can use each team once. One loss and you are out. | Groups that like a short, tense game |
| Squares | A grid tied to the score digits of a single game | One-game events |
Pick’em is the one that survives an office. A good week is a good week whichever games you got, so casual players stay in all season.
Confidence rewards conviction. In a 16-game week the ladder runs from 1 to 16, so your most certain pick is worth more than your five least certain combined. Two people who both go 11 and 5 can finish far apart. Read more about how confidence works.
Survivor removes people quickly by design. With 32 teams and 18 weeks, running out of teams is rarely what ends you. Bye weeks and early losses do it. The NFL survivor pool page covers the rules in full, and says plainly that survivor is not a self-serve pool type on Fanzava.
Squares is a grid game almost always played for money. Fanzava does not run squares.
How do you run a football pool?
- Decide who it is for. An office, a family, a group chat. That sets how much scoring they will put up with.
- Pick one format. If in doubt, start with pick’em. You can add a mechanic next season.
- Write the rules down. One page, sent before Week 1. Everything below belongs on it.
- Choose one place for picks. One link beats a spreadsheet in an email chain.
- Set the lock rule. Each game locks at its own kickoff, or the whole week locks once.
- Post the standings. A weekly note, ideally on Tuesday, keeps people interested.
- Choose a prize that needs no admin. A trophy, lunch or bragging rights.
What rules do you need to agree?
Every one of these starts an argument if it is not written down before Week 1.
Do the weekly picks lock together?
Thursday Night Football kicks off days before Monday night. One weekly deadline at the Thursday kickoff locks people out of most of the week’s games. Per-game locks are the right default, because the Thursday game closes on its own and the Monday game stays open until it starts. If you want one deadline, set it at the first Sunday kickoff and leave the Thursday game out of the pool.
What happens on a tie?
There are two ties to settle. The first is a tied game, which is rare in the NFL. Decide whether it counts as a loss for everyone or is not scored. The second is a tied leaderboard, which is common in pick’em, where lots of people finish on the same record. A tie-break rule means nobody shares a title on a coin toss.
What is the Monday night tiebreak?
A common house rule is to ask for a total points guess on the Monday night game, and the closest guess wins. On Fanzava the tie-break is a margin prediction instead. Each round, players predict the winning margin on one designated game. It does not move weekly points. When two people finish level, the more accurate margin across the season takes it. Whichever you choose, announce it before Week 1.
What if someone misses a pick?
Someone will forget. Your options are to score zero or to apply a default pick, such as the home team. Decide which, and say it on the rules page. A rule is fair even when it is harsh. A judgment call in November is not.
How do you handle bye weeks?
From Week 5 to Week 14, some teams are off. A full week is 16 games, a normal bye week is 14 and the heaviest bye week is 13. Straight pick’em absorbs that without anyone noticing. A confidence ladder does not: the top rung is worth 16 one week and 13 the next. Decide whether the ladder shrinks with the slate or the point values stay fixed.
Can people pick late?
Late picks cause more arguments than any other rule, because enforcing a deadline by hand means the commissioner is the referee. Choose one rule: a game that has kicked off cannot be picked. Then everyone has the same chance, and nobody has to police anyone.
Do the playoffs count?
The playoffs are 13 games across four weekends. Scored as ordinary weeks, the Super Bowl is worth almost nothing. Weight the later rounds, run the playoff bracket as its own pool, or finish at Week 18 and start something new.
Should you use a spreadsheet or a platform?
A spreadsheet is a fair choice for a small group and one season, especially if you enjoy running it. The trouble starts around Week 5: someone edits a pick after kickoff, the results need typing on Sunday night and the formulas only you understand break while you are away.
| Spreadsheet | Fanzava | |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule and results | You type them in every week | Come from the live data feed |
| Locking | Nothing stops a pick after kickoff | Each game locks at its own kickoff |
| Missed picks | You police them | The late pick policy you set applies them |
| Scoring and confidence | Your formulas, checked by hand | Built in |
| Reminders | You nag the group chat | Reminder emails 24 hours and one hour before lock |
| Leaderboard | You repost it each week | Updates as each game ends |
| Look | Your file | Your logo and colors |
On Fanzava you create a hub with your logo and colors, add the pool and share an invite link. Players join by invite link, QR code or a bulk upload. Groups let departments or offices run their own standings inside one pool, and the Banter Board gives Monday morning somewhere to happen.
Where do you go from here?
Read about the NFL pick’em pool to see the full week and the scoring options. If your group wants elimination, the NFL survivor pool page is straight about where Fanzava stands: survivor is not a self-serve pool type, so talk to our team about it. Pick’em and confidence pools are what you can set up yourself today, and they are free to start, with no credit card.
Want something to hand out before Week 1? Our printable NFL pick’em sheet works for a small group.
Frequently asked questions
How does a football pool work?
Everyone in the group picks the winner of each NFL game before it kicks off, scores points for every correct pick, and a leaderboard ranks the group across the season. The commissioner's job is to agree the format and the rules before Week 1.
How do you set up a football pool?
Decide who it is for, pick a format, write down the rules for ties, missed picks and byes, then send people to one place to make their picks. On Fanzava you create a branded hub, add the pool and share an invite link. Fixtures, locks and scoring come from the live feed.
How do you run an office football pool?
Keep it optional, keep the rules on one page, send a reminder before each week's first game and post the standings every Tuesday. A leaderboard that updates itself saves the commissioner the most time.
What is the difference between pick'em and a confidence pool?
In pick'em every correct pick is worth the same. In a confidence pool you rank the games from most to least sure, and a correct pick scores its rank. Same picks, different leaderboard.