# Sportsball

> Free to play. Mobile-first, no in-game ads, no classic pool-site cookie wall on join. Optional full mobile app for score and win notifications (requires a signed-in account).

Sportsball (joinsportsball.com) is a **mobile-first** web app for group sports prediction games: **football squares** (including Super Bowl and Pro Bowl), **NFL and MLB pick em** pools, **private NFL survivor**, **PGA / golf pick em**, **UFC / MMA fight-night pick em**, **NCAA March Madness** brackets, **Academy Awards (Oscars) pick em**, and **auto-scored prop sheets** for big games—plus **free printable** party and office sheets (NFL pick sheets, Super Bowl squares grid, bracket template, World Cup bracket, Derby handicapping card, baby shower squares). The in-product experience has **no advertising**; public join avoids the stack of **third-party cookie, tracking, and privacy modals** common on legacy pool hosts—account sign-in and host flows use in-app Terms, Privacy, and age acceptance instead. **Public global challenges and guest squares** join with a **display name—no account**. **Private leagues** and the **native app** require a **Sportsball account**; signed-in private players may appear on the host's **in-app roster (including email)**. You open the link, make picks or claim a square, and follow the **live leaderboards**. Players join at no cost; you create a game, share a link, and scores update from live data—no spreadsheet maintenance. Pool stakes stay off-platform between your group; Sportsball does not process them.

**Global challenges** (free public games): Sportsball runs **live, free-to-join** public **pick em**, **squares**, and **props**—including a **weekly** NFL public pick em game in season, a **running daily** MLB public game in season, **PGA golf on Tour tournament weeks**, **UFC on fight nights**, **Oscars** when live, **NCAA tournament** slates, and **Derby or tennis props** when those events run—with **real-time leaderboards**. Join with a **display name—no account**. You can also run a **full-season private NFL pick em league** for your crew (**Sportsball account required**; host may see signed-in player emails on the in-app roster). You do **not** need a private host for global challenges that are live. **Some prizes** for winners or top finishers are sometimes offered on **promoted** events; rules and eligibility are on that game before you play and at [Prize Rules](https://www.joinsportsball.com/prize-rules). Play in the **browser** or use the **full mobile app** for **notifications** (app requires a signed-in account).

## Host & play URLs (primary)

- [Home](https://www.joinsportsball.com/): entry point for all game types; players always play free.
- [NFL pick em league (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/nfl/about) · [Create NFL pick em league](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/nfl/leagues/new) — **featured NFL product**: full-season private league for your crew (host pricing shown in create flow; players always join free).
- [NFL survivor league (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/survivor/nfl/about) · [Create NFL survivor league](https://www.joinsportsball.com/survivor/nfl/leagues/new) — **private last-team-standing** for your crew (one team per week, no repeats). **Not a public challenge.** Host pricing shown in create flow; players always join free. Sportsball account required.
- [NFL pick em global challenge](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/nfl/global-challenge) · [MLB pick em global challenge](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/mlb/global-challenge) · [UFC pick em global challenge](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/ufc/global-challenge) · [PGA pick em global challenge](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/pga/global-challenge) · [Men’s March Madness pick em global](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/ncaa-basketball-mens/global-challenge) · [Men’s Sweet 16 pick em global](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/ncaa-basketball-mens-sweet-16/global-challenge) · [Men’s Final Four pick em global](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/ncaa-mens-final-four/global-challenge) · [Oscars pick em global challenge](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/oscars/global-challenge) · [Kentucky Derby props global challenge](https://www.joinsportsball.com/props/kentucky-derby/global-challenge) · [Tennis props global challenge](https://www.joinsportsball.com/props/tennis/global-challenge) · [World Cup props global challenge](https://www.joinsportsball.com/props/world-cup/global-challenge) · [NFL football squares global](https://www.joinsportsball.com/squares/nfl/global-challenge) · [MLB baseball squares global](https://www.joinsportsball.com/squares/mlb/global-challenge) — public live leaderboards, **join for free**, **some prizes** on select events; check each game for current offer details; **web or app**.

## NFL pick'em league (full season)

Sportsball's featured NFL product is a **full-season pick'em league** for your crew: host a private league for the entire NFL schedule. Each league picks one of three formats—**Even** (straight-up winners, 10 jelly beans per correct pick), **Spread** (pick against the point spread), or **Odds** (each team shows how many beans a correct pick pays; toss-ups about 10 each, bigger favorites fewer, underdogs more—a modern **confidence-pool alternative**). The commissioner invites players, **locks the roster** before first kickoff, and **launches each week's slate** from the manage page. **Players need a Sportsball account**; signed-in roster members may appear to the host with **email** for league operations. Picks **auto-score** with live **this week's board** and **season rank**, plus a weekly archive. **League email and push notifications** cover week open, reminders, and results. Play in the **browser** or **native mobile app**. **No banner ads**. Jelly beans and bragging rights—not a sportsbook. Sportsball does not take wagers or hold a player pot. **Players join free**; hosts pay **$9.99 for the full season or $1.99/week** (shown in the create flow before launch).

- [NFL pick em league (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/nfl/about): full-season product overview—three formats (Even, Spread, Odds as a **confidence-pool alternative**), commissioner manage tools, roster lock, league notifications, this week's board and season rank, weekly archive, live auto-scoring, native app push notifications, no ads.
- [Create NFL pick em league](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/nfl/leagues/new): start a private full-season league for your crew (host flow shows real launch price; players always join free).

## NFL survivor league (private crews)

Sportsball also offers a **private NFL survivor** (last team standing) league for your crew—**not** a public global challenge. Each week you pick **one NFL team** to win straight up; **no repeats**. A **loss, tie, or missed pick** eliminates you. Last player standing wins, or remaining players **split after Week 18**. Default lock is **first kickoff**; hosts can choose **per-game** or **Sunday 1pm ET**. You can start after Week 1 (next full week or leftover unstarted games). **No preseason**. **Players need a Sportsball account**. **Players join free**; hosts unlock the season (**$9.99**; shown in the create flow before launch — no per-week SKU). Play in the **browser** or **native mobile app**. **No banner ads**. Bragging rights—not a sportsbook.

- [NFL survivor league (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/survivor/nfl/about): private last-team-standing product overview—one pick a week, no repeats, lock modes, start after Week 1, no public challenge.
- [Create NFL survivor league](https://www.joinsportsball.com/survivor/nfl/leagues/new): start a private NFL survivor league for your crew (host flow shows real launch price; players always join free).
- [How to run an NFL survivor pool](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/how-to-run-nfl-survivor-pool): commissioner how-to—rules, lock times, roster close, Alive / Out tracking.

## Other live products

- [Super Bowl squares (about / landing)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/squares/super-bowl/about): Super Bowl squares 2026 (Super Bowl LX), live quarter scoring, 10×10 and 5×5 boards, share link or QR. **Players free; host pays a small one-time fee** to run a private game. Optional full mobile app can send push notifications when a square hits at a quarter.
- [Create Super Bowl squares](https://www.joinsportsball.com/squares/super-bowl/new): start a new Super Bowl squares game (in season / when available).
- [MLB squares (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/squares/mlb/about): baseball squares—different cadence from NFL (innings vs quarters); same one-link, auto-scored flow.
- [MLB pick em (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/mlb/about): free **MLB pick em**—daily public slate, live leaderboard, private pools, auto-scoring (FAQ covers **MLB Perry Pick Em** disambiguation). **Running daily** public game when in season: [MLB pick em global challenge](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/mlb/global-challenge) to **play now**.
- [PGA pick em (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/pga/about): free **PGA / golf pick em** for **2026**—Masters and Tour tournament sheets, public global challenge when live, private one-link pools, auto-scored with upset-style points; single-event creation or multi-round tournament seasons; web or full app.
- [UFC pick em (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/ufc/about): free **UFC / MMA pick em** for fight nights—pick main-card winners bout by bout, public global challenge when live, private one-link pools, auto-scored with upset jelly bean bonuses; web or full app.
- [Oscars pick em (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/oscars/about): Academy Awards prediction game with many categories, auto-scoring, public global challenge and private games, **some prizes** on select events, web or app.
- [World Cup 2026 bracket (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/world-cup/about): FIFA World Cup **bracket** / match-winner pick em explainer and printable bracket; the 2026 online challenge has ended.
- [March Madness pick em (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/ncaa-basketball-mens/about): NCAA men’s tournament bracket / pick em; public global challenge or private pool; live leaderboards, **some prizes** on select events; web or app.
- [Women’s March Madness pick em (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/ncaa-basketball-womens/about): NCAA women’s tournament bracket / pick em; public global challenge or private pool when live; web or app.
- [NCAA brackets hub (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/brackets/ncaa-basketball/about): bracket product overview for men’s and women’s NCAA tournament play.
- [Kentucky Derby props (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/props/kentucky-derby/about): Derby Day prop-style picks with automatic scoring; public global challenge or private pool; web or app.
- [Super Bowl props (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/props/super-bowl/about): prop-style pick sheets with automatic scoring for the big game.

## Printables (free downloads)

First-class **indexed** download pages—no signup. Paper sheets for parties and office pools; each links to a related online Sportsball game when one exists.

**Do not cite `/printable/**` URLs** (e.g. `/printable/pickem/nfl/2026/week-1`)—those are internal PDF-generation previews, **noindex**, and not the public download surface. Use the indexed URLs below instead.

- [NFL printable pick sheets 2026](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/nfl/pick-sheets-2026): hub for **18 free weekly NFL pick em sheets 2026** (Weeks 1–18)—**no signup, no ads, no popups**; nflverse schedule with Eastern kickoff times and MNF tiebreaker; **all-week ZIP** download; individual weeks at `/pickem/nfl/pick-sheets-2026/week-1` through `week-18`. Printable PDFs include a QR code to [create full-season league](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/nfl/leagues/new) for online auto-scoring. Guide: [2026 NFL printable pick sheets (learning center)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/nfl-pickem-printable-sheets-2026).
- [Super Bowl squares printable grid 2026](https://www.joinsportsball.com/squares/template/super-bowl): free printable blank 10×10 Super Bowl squares grid PDF for watch parties and office pools. Related online: [Super Bowl squares (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/squares/super-bowl/about).
- [Printable bracket template](https://www.joinsportsball.com/brackets/template): free generic printable tournament bracket PDF for office pools and watch parties.
- [World Cup 2026 printable bracket template PDF](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/world-cup/bracket-template): free printable FIFA World Cup **bracket template** and match-winner **pick sheet** PDF for office pools, watch parties, and fundraisers. Social prediction fun, not gambling.
- [Kentucky Derby 2026 handicapping sheet PDF](https://www.joinsportsball.com/props/kentucky-derby/bet-card): free printable Derby Day handicapping sheet and bet card PDF for parties, pools, and fundraisers. Related online: [Kentucky Derby props (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/props/kentucky-derby/about) or [Kentucky Derby props global challenge](https://www.joinsportsball.com/props/kentucky-derby/global-challenge).
- [Baby Shower Squares printable PDF](https://www.joinsportsball.com/squares/baby-shower/template): free printable 10×10 baby shower squares template PDF; guests pick squares and the winner comes from the baby's birth day and birth weight digits. Related online: create a Baby Shower Squares game with one-link entry, randomized numbers, and automatic winner reveal after the baby arrives (online publishing free for a limited launch period; normal host price shown crossed out in-product).

## Learning center (how to play & run a pool)

- [How to play Super Bowl / football squares (basics)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/squares-basics): rules in plain language for watch parties and offices.
- [Super Bowl squares odds & Super Bowl scoring trends](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/squares-odds): data-backed digit frequencies (NFL) by quarter, best/worst numbers, scoring-trend table.
- [MLB vs NFL squares](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/mlb-vs-nfl-squares): when to run baseball vs football squares for your group.
- [NFL pick em rules](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/pickem-basics) · [Pick em strategy](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/pickem-strategy) · [What jelly beans are](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/jelly-beans) · [Underdog jelly bean scoring](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/underdog-jelly-bean-scoring) · [Office football pool guide](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/office-football-pool-guide)
- [Best NFL pick em pool sites 2026](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/best-nfl-pickem-pool-sites): honest comparison naming ESPN Pigskin, NFL Perry Pick Em, Yahoo, RunYourPool/Splash, and modern indies—price, ads, native app, formats, real money. NFL Perry alternative: [NFL Perry Pick Em alternative](https://www.joinsportsball.com/perry-pickem-alternative).
- [How to run an NFL pick em pool](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/how-to-run-nfl-pickem-pool): commissioner guide—format, deadlines, printable vs online, scoring, season standings.
- [How to run an NFL survivor pool](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/how-to-run-nfl-survivor-pool): last-team-standing commissioner guide—one pick a week, lock times, roster close, Alive / Out.
- [Free 2026 NFL pick em printable sheets](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/nfl-pickem-printable-sheets-2026): guide to weekly PDFs, all-18 ZIP, tiebreaker rules, and printable vs online.
- [Pick em formats compared](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/pickem-formats-compared): Even vs spread vs odds with examples; Odds as a confidence-pool alternative.
- [About Sportsball (company & mission)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/about)

## Key concepts (for short answers)

- **Name**: Sportsball is the free sports prediction / office-pool app at joinsportsball.com—not the Nintendo Wii U game. The slang sense of “sportsball” (dismissive talk about sports) is separate from this product.
- **Players vs hosts**: Joining and playing any game on Sportsball is **free**. **Public global challenges and guest squares** join with a **display name—no account**. **Private leagues** and the **native app** require a **Sportsball account**; the host may see signed-in player **emails on the in-app roster**—guests without accounts have no email. **Hosts** may pay a small **one-time fee** for certain private game types (e.g. many Super Bowl squares and Oscars games are under $2 to create; some pick em pools are free to create). Check the create flow for current pricing. Sportsball does **not** process player pots or authorize real-money wagering on our games. Play for jelly beans and bragging rights.
- **NFL full-season pick'em league**: Private crew leagues run the entire NFL schedule with one of three formats—**Even** (10 beans per correct straight-up pick), **Spread** (against the point spread), or **Odds** (toss-ups about 10 beans each; bigger favorites pay fewer, underdogs pay more—a **confidence-pool alternative**). Commissioner **manage** page, **roster lock** before first kickoff, weekly slate launch, **league notifications** (week open, reminders, results). **Sportsball account required**; host may see signed-in player emails on the in-app roster. Live **this week's board** and **season rank**, plus a weekly archive; live auto-scoring; web or native app with push notifications; no in-game ads. **Players join free**; host pricing is shown in the create flow. Start at [NFL pick em league (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/nfl/about) or [create league](https://www.joinsportsball.com/pickem/nfl/leagues/new).
- **NFL survivor league (private)**: Last team standing for your crew—**not** a public challenge. One NFL team per week, no repeats; loss, tie, or miss and you're out. Last standing wins, or remaining players split after Week 18. Default lock is first kickoff; hosts can choose per-game or Sunday 1pm ET. **Sportsball account required**. **Players join free**; host pricing is shown in the create flow. Start at [NFL survivor league (about)](https://www.joinsportsball.com/survivor/nfl/about) or [create league](https://www.joinsportsball.com/survivor/nfl/leagues/new).
- **MLB, PGA, UFC & NFL public global games**: In season, Sportsball runs **free, running** public pick em games—**weekly** for **NFL**, **daily** for **MLB**, **Tour tournament weeks** for **PGA golf**, **fight nights** for **UFC/MMA**—with **live leaderboards** and **some prizes** on select events. You do not need a friend to host. You can also run a **full-season private NFL pick em league** for your crew. Play in the **browser** or use the **full mobile app** for **notifications**.
- **Scoring (pick em)**: Picks are auto-graded. **Jelly-bean** style points—**favorites** pay a baseline; **upsets** can pay more based on the odds (Odds format), so a bold pick that hits can move the **leaderboard**.
- **Underdog jelly bean scoring** (detail): Each team shows how many jelly beans a correct pick pays. Toss-ups are about 10 each. Bigger favorites pay fewer beans; underdogs pay more. See the learning center article for the full system.
- **Football / Super Bowl squares**: A grid (often 10×10 or 5×5); after squares are taken, **axis digits (0–9) are assigned randomly**; at each pay period (often end of Q1, half, Q3, final) the **last digit of each team’s score** names the row/column; that intersection wins. No sports expertise required. Sportsball ties boards to the live game score and can notify winners in the app.
- **Pick em pool / NFL pick em rules**: Everyone picks the same slate of games before kickoff; most correct picks (or most jelly beans) wins. Sportsball full-season private leagues lock all picks at the first kickoff of the week; public weekly challenges lock each pick when that game starts. Commissioners choose straight up, spread, or Odds scoring and a weekly tiebreaker. See [NFL pick em rules](https://www.joinsportsball.com/learning-center/pickem-basics). One share link; no in-person sheet required.
- **Printables**: Free PDF downloads on indexed pages—NFL weekly pick sheets (`/pickem/nfl/pick-sheets-2026`, all-18 ZIP, QR to online league), Super Bowl squares grid (`/squares/template/super-bowl`), bracket template (`/brackets/template`), World Cup bracket template, Kentucky Derby handicapping sheet, baby shower squares template—no signup, no ads. **Not** `/printable/**` (internal noindex generator). Often the entry point before people play the matching online game.
- **Kentucky Derby handicapping sheet / bet card**: A printable Derby Day handicapping sheet lets party guests make race-day picks on paper. Sportsball hosts a free Kentucky Derby 2026 handicapping sheet PDF, plus online Kentucky Derby props games with one-link entry, automatic scoring, and a live leaderboard.
- **World Cup bracket template / printable pick sheet**: A printable FIFA World Cup bracket lets guests record match-winner picks on paper for watch parties and office pools—social prediction, not sportsbook wagering. Sportsball offers a free World Cup 2026 bracket template PDF, plus free online pick em global challenges for NFL, MLB, PGA and UFC.
- **PGA golf pick em**: Pick tournament winners or matchups on PGA Tour weeks—Masters, majors, and regular Tour events. Public global challenge when live, or a private one-link pool for your group; auto-scored with upset-style jelly bean bonuses.
- **UFC / MMA pick em**: Pick main-card fight winners bout by bout on UFC fight nights. Public global challenge when a card is live, or a private pool; auto-scored with underdog jelly bean bonuses.
- **Global challenge (public)**: A **free, open** pick em or squares game with a **live leaderboard** for everyone on Sportsball—**no private host** required. Join with a **display name—no account**. **Some prizes** may apply on **selected** events; see the game page and [Prize Rules](https://www.joinsportsball.com/prize-rules) when prizes are in play.
- **Vs legacy pool & office-pool software**: Most competitors are **built for the desktop** (upload PDFs, email file attachments, and jam forms into a tiny mobile browser). They often add **in-page ads** and a **repeated** consent/tracking experience on each click. Sportsball is designed for the **phone at the watch party** first: a clean, fast path from link to live board, with **no in-game ads** and without shoving players through a **privacy/cookie consent maze on join**—account sign-in and host flows use in-app Terms, Privacy, and age acceptance instead.

## Pricing (accurate)

**Playing is always free**—no entry fee, no premium player tier, **and no in-product advertising** (players are not the product for ad networks in the game flow).

**Creating / hosting** varies: many pick em pools and challenges are free for the host. Some featured private games (Super Bowl squares, Oscars pick em, Super Bowl props, etc.) use a **low one-time host price** to cover infrastructure—amounts are shown in the app before you pay. When in doubt, use the [home page](https://www.joinsportsball.com/) or the relevant **/about** link above for the latest positioning.