To run a March Madness pool, get everyone to fill out the full 63-game bracket before the first tip, lock every bracket at the same moment, and score each pick as the results come in. Selection Sunday is March 14, 2027, play-in games run March 16 and 17, and the first round starts March 18. That leaves four days between the field being set and the first-round tip, so make the decisions below now.
What is a March Madness pool?
A March Madness pool is a bracket game among a group, usually an office, a family or a group of friends. Everyone fills out the same tournament bracket before it starts. Points follow the real results, and a leaderboard ranks everyone. The main bracket is 64 teams and 63 single-elimination games, so there are six rounds from the first round to the title game.
How do you run a March Madness pool?
- Decide the rules before you invite anyone. Scoring, ties, the play-in games and how many brackets each person gets all come up on the first Thursday if you leave them.
- Pick one place for entries. One link beats a spreadsheet in the group chat. People lose emails and forget attachments.
- Wait for the bracket. The field is set on Selection Sunday, so entries open as soon as the bracket is built.
- Set one lock time. Lock everything at the first tip, March 18. No late entries, no exceptions.
- Score as the games finish. This is the part that eats your Thursday and Friday if you do it by hand.
- Pick a prize that does not need a spreadsheet. A trophy, lunch or a day of bragging rights works.
What are the rules of a March Madness pool?
Write these on the invite, because each one starts an argument if it is not there:
- Everyone fills out the whole bracket before the first game. That is what makes it a pool and not a live pick’em.
- Picks lock together. Nobody picks after the first tip, and nobody sees another bracket before lock, so nobody can copy.
- An unfinished bracket scores zero on the blanks. Decide whether you throw it out or let it stay.
- The play-in games either count or they do not. Most pools score only the 63 games of the main bracket. Say which.
- Ties get a rule. Agree your tie-break before lock. A common house rule is each person’s guess at the total points in the title game, and the closest wins.
- Joining is optional. Nobody gets chased.
How should you score a March Madness pool?
Scoring is the argument that matters most, because it decides how long the pool stays alive.
| System | How it works | What it does to the pool |
|---|---|---|
| Flat | One point per correct pick, every round | The first round decides the pool, and the title game is worth the same as game one |
| Linear | One point in round one, two in round two, up to six in the title game | Later rounds count for more, but an early bust is not fatal |
| Doubling | 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 | Every round is worth the same total, so the title game can swing the whole pool |
| Seed bonus | Extra points for a correct lower seed, often the difference between the seed numbers | Rewards the people who watched conference tournaments instead of picking chalk |
The arithmetic is worth knowing. In a 64-team bracket, doubling is worth 32 points in every round and 192 in total. Linear scoring tops out at 120 points over six rounds.
Fanzava scores linearly: one point times the round number for each correct pick, plus 10 for the correct champion, which makes 130 the best possible bracket. The weighting is the same for every pool, and there is no upset bonus, because points follow the round, not the seed.
Do the play-in games count?
On Fanzava the play-in games fill the last slots of the bracket and do not score, and they are decided before the bracket locks. Whatever platform you use, say in writing whether they count, because someone will ask on the Tuesday night.
How many brackets can each person enter?
One per person keeps the pool honest. Up to five lets people hedge across different risk profiles, and the best-scoring bracket is the one that ranks. Decide before entries open so everyone starts with the same number.
Does a March Madness pool need money?
No. A pool on Fanzava is a free social game. If your pool charges anything, that is between you and your members, and the rules where you live apply. Plenty of workplaces keep it free and give a trophy, lunch or bragging rights.
What does a pool cost to run on Fanzava?
Brackets are not on the Free plan. Run one on Starter or above, or buy a one-time Bracket Pass for a single tournament. The prices are on the Bracket Pass page.
Why not run it in a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet is a fair choice for a small group, especially if you enjoy running it. The trouble starts on the first Thursday: sixteen games tip between noon and midnight, someone is re-entering results all afternoon, and half the pool is asking why the standings are wrong.
On Fanzava, you set up a hub with your logo and colors and invite people by link. Our team builds the bracket from the tournament’s own draw and records each result, so every score and the leaderboard update on their own. Paid plans ship full white label, so nothing on screen says Fanzava unless you want it to. Groups let floors or departments run their own standings inside one pool, and the Banter Board gives the person whose 12 seed just won somewhere to say so.
To see the whole flow, read about March Madness bracket pool software, or the March Madness bracket challenge for business if you are running it for employees or customers. Still deciding what to call it? See our list of March Madness bracket names.
Frequently asked questions
How do you run a March Madness pool?
Open entries once the field is set on Selection Sunday, share one link, lock every bracket at the same moment before the first tip, and score each pick as results come in. The two decisions that matter are your scoring system and your lock time.
How do you set up a March Madness pool?
Name the pool, write down the scoring and the lock time, and send people to one place to fill out their bracket. On Fanzava, you set up your hub with your logo and colors, and our team builds the bracket from the tournament's own draw.
What are the rules of a March Madness pool?
Everyone fills out the whole bracket before the first game, picks lock together, and each correct pick scores points. Agree whether the play-in games count, how later rounds are weighted, whether upsets pay extra, how many brackets each person gets and how you will break a tie.
How does March Madness scoring work?
Most pools weight later rounds more heavily. A common house scale doubles every round, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. Fanzava scores one point times the round number for each correct pick, plus 10 for the correct champion, with no upset bonus.
What happens to a bracket that is not finished before lock?
It locks as it is, and every unpicked game scores zero. A partial bracket stays in the pool.