Football squares rules: how to play
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Football squares is a simple game played on a 10 by 10 grid. It needs no football knowledge at all, which is why it's a favorite at offices, bars, family parties and Super Bowl gatherings.
What you need
- A printed squares board with one team across the top and the other down the side. Make one free here.
- Someone to run the board and keep track of who has which square.
- A way to draw numbers at random, like ten slips of paper numbered 0 to 9 in a hat.
1. Fill the squares
Each of the 100 squares gets a name. A person can take one square or several. The numbers printed in each box (1 to 100) make it easy to say "I have 37" and find it later.
2. Draw the numbers
When every square has a name, draw the digits 0 through 9 in random order and write them in the gray boxes across the top. Then draw them again for the gray boxes down the side. Drawing after the board is full keeps it fair, since nobody knows which numbers they'll get when they pick a square.
3. Find the winner each quarter
At the end of each quarter, look at the last digit of each team's score. Find that digit across the top for the top team and down the side for the side team. The square where the row and column meet wins that quarter.
Example: The top team leads 17 to 10 after the first quarter. The last digits are 7 and 0. Find 7 across the top and 0 down the side. Whoever's name is in that square wins the first quarter.
Common payout splits
The person running the board decides the payouts and prints them on the board. Common setups:
- Equal quarters: each quarter pays the same amount.
- Bigger final: the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters pay the same, and the final score pays more. A split like 20% / 20% / 20% / 40% is popular.
- Halftime and final only: good for a quick board with fewer winners.
House rules to decide ahead of time
- Overtime: decide if the 4th quarter pays on the score at the end of regulation or the final score including overtime. Many boards print "No overtime pay" to settle it.
- Unsold squares: decide what happens if a winning square has no name. Some boards roll that quarter's prize to the next quarter.
- Deadline: print a "must pay before game time" or "fill by" line so the board is finished before kickoff.
- Reverse winners: some boards pay a smaller amount to the square with the digits swapped.
Keep it legal and friendly
Rules about pools with money differ by state and country. Check what's allowed where you live. Football Squares Maker only makes the printable board and never handles money.
Related guides
- Which squares numbers win most often
- Printable blank football squares template
- Super Bowl squares board
Make a board now Free. Prints on letter paper.