How Football Squares Work
Football squares pools use a 10×10 grid (100 squares) where each participant claims squares. Winners are determined by the last digit of each team's score at key checkpoints in the game.
Scoring Mechanics
Grid Setup
A 10×10 grid with row numbers 0-9 on the left (home team) and column numbers 0-9 on top (away team).
Last Digit Rule
After each quarter, we take the last digit of each team's score. The row is the home team's last digit, the column is the away team's last digit.
Winner Determination
The square at the intersection of that row and column is the winner for that period.
Example
If the score is Chiefs 17, Eagles 13: Row = 7 (home last digit), Column = 3 (away last digit). The owner of square (7,3) wins.
Game Checkpoints & Payouts
Football pools typically have payouts at these checkpoints:
1st Quarter
End of first 15 minutes
Halftime (2nd Quarter)
End of first half (30 min)
3rd Quarter
End of third quarter (45 min)
Final Score
End of game (60 min)
Key Points
- ✓ The same square can win multiple times (once per checkpoint)
- ✓ Scores are updated by the pool host after each period
- ✓ Winners are determined automatically based on last digits
- ✓ The pool locks after all 100 squares are claimed
- ✓ Random numbers are generated once to ensure fairness
- ✓ Pool host manages payouts between participants