NFL learning center
Football Squares Rules: How to Play NFL Squares
1. Choose a board and claim squares
The classic board is ten rows by ten columns: 100 squares. One team is assigned to each axis. Players put their names in one or more cells before the numbers are revealed. The commissioner should explain the number of claims per person and treatment of empty squares first.
Sportsball also supports a five-by-five board with 25 squares. Each row and column label groups two score digits, so one cell covers four digit combinations. It is useful for a smaller group, not merely a 100-square board with most cells removed.
2. Randomize the digits
On a standard 100-square board, each axis contains 0 through 9 in a random order. Assign digits fairly rather than letting the host select favorable labels for particular people. Random assignment means no blank cell has an inherent advantage before the draw.
Check whether numbers stay fixed or change between scoring periods. Sportsball offers the same digits all game, changes every other period or changes every period. Read the active period's labels before deciding which cell wins.
3. Match the cumulative score
Halftime example
The away team leads 24-17. The away digit is 4 and the home digit is 7. Find the axis labeled away 4 and the one labeled home 7; the intersection wins halftime. If the teams are reversed on your board, follow the team labels rather than memorizing row 4/column 7.
Use the full score at that moment, not only points scored in the latest quarter. A score of 10-7 at Q1 uses 0 and 7; a 24-17 halftime score uses 4 and 7. The same person can win multiple periods.
4. Follow quarter and final results
Common paper pools award Q1, halftime, Q3 and final winners. Sportsball uses those four periods with overtime included in the final. If regulation ends tied and overtime changes the score, the final winning cell follows the completed game's score.
Sportsball's jelly-bean period shares are 15%, 25%, 15% and 45%. They are leaderboard points, not a cash pot. The host's digit-shift and entry settings are separate from these fixed scoring shares. Paper hosts should publish their own recognition rules before claims.
Open claims, managed boards and browser play
In Open mode, players with the link claim squares and the host can manage entries. In Managed mode, the host controls assignments and players view the board. Guest squares can be joined in the browser without an account; the optional signed-in native app adds notifications.
A printed board needs someone to draw labels and record winners. An online board shares assignments and automatic results with remote players. Feed updates may lag the broadcast, so use the confirmed board rather than expecting alerts on every televised play.
Common first-time questions
You do not need to support either team to play. A square can win when your favorite team loses. Digits with lower historical frequency can still win; a random board is not defective because an unusual cell hits. Agree on empty squares before play rather than awarding them after seeing the score.
Players join free on Sportsball. Regular NFL squares currently have no host publish fee, while special-event products may have a fee shown before purchase. Sportsball does not collect square entry fees, authorize wagering or distribute a player pot.