Pickem Pool Rules

Pickem Maker uses standard straight-up NFL pickem rules. They're easy to explain and easy to join, which suits office pools and casual football groups.

The rules

• Everyone picks the winner of every NFL regular-season game.
• Each correct pick counts as one win.
• Wrong picks and missing picks count as losses once the game is final.
• A game that ends in a tie doesn't count for anyone.
• Each game locks at its own kickoff time.
• Season standings sort by total wins, then by fewer losses.
• The weekly winner is whoever has the most correct picks in a finished week. Ties are shared.

Kickoff locks

Games lock one at a time. A Thursday game locks Thursday night while the Sunday and Monday games stay open, so the pool stays fair without making everyone submit the whole week early.

Missed picks

If you don't pick a team before kickoff, that game shows as "no pick" and counts as a loss when it's final. Most office pools handle a missed deadline the same way. The commissioner's "who's picked" list exists so nobody misses one by accident.

Common variations

Some pools use confidence points, picks against the spread, survivor rules, or tiebreakers like Monday night's total points. Those formats work fine, but Pickem Maker sticks to straight-up winners.