NFL Pick’em – Rules & Instructions

Pick one team each week, rack up points, and avoid three strikes. Last player standing wins—or the top scorer breaks the tie at season’s end.

Game Description

Each week you select one team you believe will win its game. A correct pick adds that team’s Power Ranking points to your total and keeps you alive. A wrong pick earns zero points and one strike. Accumulate three strikes and you’re eliminated.

Rules

Choose one team per week to win outright. A tie is not a win. If your team wins, you receive that week’s designated Power Ranking points for that team. If it doesn’t, you get a strike and zero points.

Strikes are issued for:

  1. Your team loses.
  2. Your team ties.
  3. Your team is on a bye.
  4. Your team does not play for any reason (see Game Postponements).
  5. You pick the same team twice.
  6. You miss the deadline.
  7. You fail to make a pick.

Elimination: Three strikes and you’re out.

Week 1 Deadline: Saturday, December 20th, 2025 - 12:00:00 PM CST

Eligible Games: Only Saturday, Sunday, and Monday games. Thursday and Friday games are not eligible.

Weekly Deadline — Saturday at Noon (Central Time)

Every Saturday at 12:00 PM (Noon) Central Time

  • Mulligans are allowed through Week 2.
  • After Week 2, you are responsible for tracking the deadline. Late picks are not accepted.

Why noon? This carries over from when the game was managed in Excel spreadsheets and time was needed to collect picks and publish them to all players. It’s also one reason we have a generous three‑strike policy.

You can pick ahead—in fact, you may select all 18 weeks from the start. It’s highly advisable to pick at least a couple of weeks ahead to avoid any last‑minute issues that could cause a missed pick and the dreaded No Pick strike.

Points

Teams receive point values weekly based on ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings. Lower-ranked numbers indicate stronger teams. Picking a strong team means fewer points (safer); a weaker team offers more points (riskier). Your strategy is up to you.

ESPN typically posts rankings each week during the regular season (usually Tuesday morning).

Winning the Game

  • The game continues as long as at least two players remain without three strikes (this includes the playoffs and the Super Bowl).
  • Picks do not reset for the playoffs.
  • The game ends when only one player remains.

Special Cases

  • All remaining players strike out the same week: No strikes or points are awarded that week, but the team you selected is still considered used and cannot be picked again.
  • No legal picks remain for any player or the season ends with multiple players alive:
    • Highest total points wins.
    • If tied on points, fewest strikes wins.
    • If still tied, players split the pot equally.

Game Postponements & Cancellations

If a game is postponed or canceled, the teams in that matchup are treated as not playing. If your selected team does not play, you are issued a strike (see Rules). You must pick a winner each week; if your team doesn’t play, it cannot win—no exceptions.

Website

  • The site shows current standings and all picks.
  • Other players’ picks remain hidden until the weekly deadline passes.
  • You can make or change your pick(s) up to the deadline. Future-week picks are allowed (e.g., preload all 17 weeks if you like).
  • Future picks by other players are shown as [?].
Note: The website isn’t perfect. Report bugs immediately. While the site tries to prevent duplicate picks or bye-week picks, it is each player’s responsibility to avoid them. If you manage to make an invalid pick, it will count as a strike.

After the deadline, a weekly email will go out with standings and picks. This is the official pre-game record. Check it and report any issues before your game starts. If a change is warranted (unlikely), the commissioner may update and resend the picks to all participants.

Power Rankings

ESPN Power Rankings are updated on the site each week as they’re published. View them here: ESPN NFL.

Preseason rankings are posted and may change before Week 1. Check this site for the latest rankings before the Week 1 deadline.

Money

  • Entry fee: $25 per entry (up to 5 entries per player).
  • Accepted: Cash, PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle.
  • All fees due by Saturday, December 20th, 2025 - 12:00:00 PM . No exceptions.
  • If you do not pay by the deadline, your entry and any picks will be removed.

Using Payment Apps

  • Send $25 per entry in a single payment (e.g., $50 for two entries—don’t send $25 twice).
  • Do not request a payment from the commissioner via PayPal (fees apply).
  • Important: Mark the payment as a gift to a friend/family member. Do not mention gambling, pools, football, “Last Man Standing,” entries, etc. Use a neutral note (e.g., “reimbursing for dinner”).