Basketball squares for the NCAA tournament
March Madness is the second biggest event for squares games after the Super Bowl, and for good reason. The NCAA tournament gives you dozens of games over three weeks, which means dozens of chances to play. Whether you run one game for the championship or a new grid for every round, basketball squares are a fantastic way to stay engaged throughout the tournament. If you are new to the concept, our How to Play guide covers the basics.
The basic concept is identical. You still have a 10 by 10 grid, players still claim squares, and numbers are still assigned randomly. The difference is in how the scoring periods work.
College basketball games have two halves instead of four quarters. That means you check for winners at halftime and at the final score, giving you two winners per game instead of four. Some people prefer this because each win feels more significant.
NBA games have four quarters, so they work just like football squares with four winners. Our platform handles both formats automatically. When you create a game and link it to a college basketball matchup, the scoreboard adjusts to show halves instead of quarters.
Basketball scoring is much higher than football, which changes how the numbers play out. In football, 0, 7, and 3 are the dominant last digits because of how touchdowns and field goals work (see our breakdown of the best Super Bowl squares numbers). In basketball, the scoring is more evenly spread across all 10 digits.
This actually makes basketball squares feel more balanced. There are no clearly "bad" numbers. Every square has a reasonable shot at winning, which adds to the fun and makes the game feel fairer. If you want to learn more about how number probabilities work, our Tips & Strategies page has a deeper breakdown.
One of the best things about March Madness is that the tournament lasts for weeks. You can run your squares game in a few different ways. If you are organizing for a group, our guides on running squares at work and squares for remote teams have tips that apply to basketball games too.
One game per round: Create a new grid for each round of the tournament. This works well because you get fresh numbers each time and people stay engaged throughout. First round, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, and Championship each get their own board.
One game for the championship: If you want to keep it simple, just run a single grid for the national championship game. This mirrors the Super Bowl approach and is the easiest to manage.
Daily grids: During the first weekend of the tournament when there are 16 games a day, some people create a new grid each day and apply it to a specific game. This is more work to manage but keeps the energy high during the most exciting part of the tournament.
March Madness overtime games are some of the most exciting in all of sports, and they create interesting situations for squares. When you create your game, you can choose between Standard scoring and With Overtime scoring.
In Standard mode, the final score after overtime determines the last winner. In With Overtime mode, the end-of-regulation score is recorded as one winner, and the final OT score determines a bonus winner. This gives you an extra chance to win if the game goes to overtime. For a more detailed explanation, see our post on how overtime works in squares.
Head to the create page and select College Basketball as the sport. You can link your game to a specific March Madness matchup for automatic scoring, or create a manual game if the matchup has not been determined yet. If teams are TBD, the game will automatically update with team names, colors, and game time once the matchup is set.
Share the link with your group, let everyone claim their squares, assign numbers before tip-off, and you are good to go. The scoreboard will show halftime and final score, and winners are highlighted automatically on the grid. Not everyone in your group needs to be a basketball fan either. Squares work just as well for people who do not follow sports. For tips on keeping things smooth, check out our squares etiquette guide and our advice on what makes a good grid.
If your group enjoys March Madness squares, there are plenty of other events to keep the fun going year-round. NFL squares are the most popular format, especially for the Super Bowl. NHL squares work great for the Stanley Cup playoffs, and college football squares are perfect for bowl season and the College Football Playoff.
You can also use a squares grid for non-sports events like award shows, baby showers, and holiday parties. See how squares compare to other group activities in our party games comparison. And if you want to understand the history behind the game, our History of Football Squares page has the full story. For common questions, visit our FAQ.
Create a free basketball squares game for the tournament.
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