Pick 'Em Pool Rules: Templates You Can Copy

7 min read · Updated September 2026

Most pool disputes are rule gaps, not bad faith. Below are three complete rule sets that have survived real seasons. Copy one, change the numbers, and send it to your group before week one so there's a written answer when somebody asks.

Template A — The 12-person office pool

Best for a group that mostly knows each other and wants low effort.

Slate: 10 games per week, chosen by the commissioner, NFL only.
Picks: all 10 required. A missed pick counts as a loss, not an excused week.
Lock: first kickoff of the week (usually Thursday evening).
Weekly winner: most correct. Ties split the weekly prize.
Season: total correct picks across all weeks. Tiebreaker is most weekly wins.
Late joiners: allowed through week 3, starting from zero. No retroactive scoring.

Template B — The 60-person extended-family pool

Best for a wide range of football knowledge, with people who will miss weeks.

Slate: 12 games, mixing NFL and college football.
Picks: choose any 9 of the 12. Players aren't punished for skipping games they don't follow.
Win target: 8 of 9 correct wins the week. If nobody hits it, most correct wins.
Lock: first kickoff. Future weeks can be picked at any time.
Missed week: counts as zero, but does not eliminate anyone.
Season: total correct. Published every Monday.

Template C — The 150+ person public pool

Best for a large group where the commissioner cannot chase individuals.

Slate: 12–16 games. Published Tuesday, never changed after Wednesday noon.
Picks: all games required; auto-pick (favorites) applied to anyone who misses the deadline, announced in advance.
Win target: a fixed number set weekly, typically 75% of the slate.
Rollover: if nobody hits the target, the week has no winner and the prize carries forward. Announce the streak publicly — it's the best engagement tool a big pool has.
Entries: one per person. Duplicate accounts merged or removed at the commissioner's discretion.
Disputes: results follow the official league final score, including overturned or forfeited games.

Rules worth writing down regardless of template

Cancelled or postponed games: the standard is to void the game for everyone and lower the win target by one. Weather delays that finish the same weekend still count.

Name changes: players change display names mid-season. Decide up front whether history follows the person or the name — it should follow the person.

Spectators: decide whether people who aren't playing can watch the standings. A view-only link keeps interested family members involved without inflating the player count.

Run your own pool

PickemLedger hosts NFL and college football pick 'em pools free — weekly rules, automatic scoring and a season leaderboard. No entry fees, no payouts.