Tips & Strategies

Get the most out of your football squares game

📊 Understanding the Odds

Not all numbers are equally likely to appear in football scores. Based on years of NFL data:

Best Numbers (Most Common)

0: Appears in ~20% of final scores (shutouts, 10, 20, 30...)
7: Very common due to touchdowns (7, 17, 27, 37...)
3: Field goals make this frequent (3, 13, 23, 33...)
4: TD + FG combo (10, 14, 24, 34...)

Worst Numbers (Rare)

2: Requires a safety (very rare)
5: Unusual scoring combination
8: Rare (safety + TD or 2-pt conversions)
9: Uncommon scoring pattern

But remember: The random assignment is what makes it fair and fun. "Bad" numbers can still win!

💰 Popular Payout Structures

Standard (Equal Quarters)

25% per quarter. Simple and easy to manage.

Q1: 25% | Q2: 25% | Q3: 25% | Final: 25%

Weighted Final

Most common structure. Final score is worth more.

Q1: 15% | Q2: 20% | Q3: 20% | Final: 45%

Progressive

Builds excitement as the game goes on.

Q1: 10% | Q2: 20% | Q3: 30% | Final: 40%

Super Bowl Special

Heavy emphasis on halftime and final.

Q1: 10% | Halftime: 30% | Q3: 10% | Final: 50%

💡 Tip: Include your payout structure in the Custom Message when creating your game so all players can see it.

⏰ Timing Tips

Create early: Start your game 1-2 weeks before the event
Set a deadline: Give a clear cutoff (e.g., "All squares must be claimed by Saturday 6pm")
Assign numbers: Do this after the deadline but before kickoff
Lock the grid: At least 30 minutes before the game starts
Send reminders: Message your group 24 hours before the deadline

📱 Game Day Tips

Cast to TV: Share your screen or mirror the grid to a big screen
Use auto-scores: Select an ESPN game when creating for automatic updates
Take screenshots: Capture the grid before and after for your records
Announce winners: Make it exciting when quarters end!
Have a backup: Know how to enter scores manually if needed

🎯 Running Multiple Games

You can create as many games as you want. Here are some ideas:

Separate games for different departments or friend groups
A "just for fun" game alongside a main one
Multiple games for different weeks of the playoffs
Different buy-in levels for casual vs. serious players

🔐 Security Best Practices

Save your admin password: We can't recover it for you
Use player passwords: If you only want invited people to participate
Lock early: Prevent last-minute changes
Review the change log: See all square modifications
Take screenshots: Document the final grid before payouts

Ready to start?

Put these tips into action with your own game.

Create Your Game →

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