Official rules 7 formats

How to Play

Every contest format, explained.

Everything you need to know about each contest format on BracketContest.

Chapter 1Grand SlamLIVE

Grand Slam Bracket

Fill in the whole draw before the first ball is struck. 128 players, 7 rounds, one bracket.

players in the draw
128
rounds to the title
7
points if you are perfect
384
prize pool
5,000 BCP

How it works

  1. Pick the winner of every match in the draw, from the first round all the way to the final.
  2. You fill the bracket once, before play begins. Entries close at the first match of the tournament.
  3. The men's and women's draws are separate contests. Enter one, or both.
  4. A wrong pick does not knock you out. You keep scoring on every other match you got right.

Scoring - later rounds are worth more

  1. Round 1 and Round 2: 2 points per correct pick. Round 3 and the Round of 16: 4 points.
  2. Quarter-finals: 8 points. Semi-finals: 16 points. The final: 32 points.
  3. A perfect bracket is 384 points. Nobody has ever filled one - that is the whole game.
  4. Your running total and your position update live as results come in.

Cancellations & changes

Withdrawals and retirements

  1. If a player withdraws before their match, a lucky loser takes their place in the draw.
  2. You can change that pick up until the match starts. If you do not, the substitute becomes your pick automatically.
  3. A walkover or a retirement counts as a normal win for whoever advances - your pick is graded the same way.

Prizes

Prizes

  1. The highest total when the tournament ends takes the top share of the pool.
  2. Ties are split, not broken: the percentages of the tied places are combined and shared equally.
  3. Prizes are paid in BCP as soon as the final is graded.
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Chapter 2ACTIVE · LIVE NOWLIVE

Futbol (soccer) Rules

Pick Home win, Draw, or Away win for every match across 7 top soccer leagues. Score points daily, build your streak, and compete in private groups all season long.

Leagues
7
Entry
Varies
Contests
Daily
Private Leagues
Groups

Deadlines & locks

Daily Contests

  1. A new contest is created for every Futbol (soccer) match day.
  2. Each contest includes all scheduled matches across 7 leagues (EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, UCL, MLS, Libertadores).
  3. The entry fee is shown on the contest card before you join, and it is always paid in BCP - the points you earn free on the site.
  4. You can join both the public contest and any private group contests simultaneously.
  5. Join late and pay less. The entry fee is prorated to the matches that have not kicked off yet: if 3 of 16 matches have started, you pay 13/16 of the fee, rounded up to the next BCP. The price on the contest card is always what you pay right now.

How to Pick

  1. For each match, predict: H (Home win), D (Draw), or A (Away win).
  2. Optional: also predict the exact score for +2 bonus points.
  3. All picks must be submitted before the match kicks off — picks lock per-match.

Scoring

  1. 1 point for every correct match result (H/D/A).
  2. +2 bonus points if your exact score prediction is correct.
  3. Maximum 3 points per match.

Streak & Multiplier

  1. Play on consecutive days to build your streak and earn bonus multipliers.
  2. 3-day streak: ×1.5 multiplier | 5-day streak: ×2.0 | 7-day streak: ×3.0.
  3. Days with no scheduled matches do NOT break your streak.
  4. Streak multipliers apply to your group leaderboard points — compete harder with friends.

Private Groups

  1. Create a private group and invite friends — compete across all season match days.
  2. Each group has its own leaderboard tracking Total Points, Streak, and Multiplier.

Prizes

Prizes

  1. Daily prize: 750 BCP to 1st and 250 BCP to 2nd. When a daily contest has more than 40 entries, 1st gets 75% and 2nd gets 25% of the pool, never less than 750 and 250.
  2. The daily prize is paid automatically once the last match of the day has finished.
  3. Weekly prize: 750 BCP to 1st and 250 BCP to 2nd of the week, adding up your public daily contests. Paid every Monday.
  4. Tied places split the combined prize of those places.
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Chapter 3ACTIVE · 2026 SEASONLIVE

MLB Pick'em Rules

Pick the winner of every MLB game, every day. Build your streak, climb the leaderboard, and beat your crew.

Games / Season
162
Entry
Varies
Contests
Daily
Private Leagues
Groups

Daily Contests

  1. A new contest is created for every MLB game day.
  2. Each contest contains all scheduled games for that day.
  3. The entry fee is shown on the contest card before you join, and it is always paid in BCP - the points you earn free on the site.
  4. You can join both public and private group contests simultaneously.
  5. Join late and pay less. The entry fee is prorated to the games that have not started yet, rounded up to the next BCP. The price on the contest card is always what you pay right now.

How to Pick

  1. Select the winner of each scheduled game shown in your contest.
  2. You must pick one team per matchup — no ties.
  3. You can join the day's contest and change any pick until that game starts.
  4. Once a game starts, your pick for that game is locked. Games already underway when you join cannot be picked.

Deadlines & locks

Lock & Scoring

  1. Each game locks at its own first pitch. The day closes when its last game starts.
  2. 1 point is awarded for each correct pick.
  3. Points accumulate across all contests in the season.
  4. Incomplete entries still count — you score on every correct pick you made.

Leaderboards

  1. Global Leaderboard ranks all players by total season points.
  2. Group Leaderboard ranks members within your private group.
  3. Leaderboards update in real time after each game result.
  4. Tiebreaker: most correct picks → most contests played.

Private Groups

  1. Create a private group and invite friends with a unique code.
  2. Members compete across all contests in the season.
  3. Each group has its own leaderboard: TotalPoints, Correct picks, Contests played.
  4. Groups persist the entire MLB season — no need to re-join each day.
  5. Each group has a live chat to talk trash and celebrate picks.

Live Group Chat

  1. Every private group includes a real-time chat room.
  2. Chat is visible to all members of the group.
  3. React, trash-talk, and celebrate — all within the app.
  4. Chat history is preserved throughout the season.

Prizes

Rewards & BCP

  1. BCP (BracketContest Points) is the platform's reward currency. You earn it free by playing, and you can also top it up.
  2. Daily prize: 750 BCP to 1st and 250 BCP to 2nd (when a daily contest has more than 40 entries, 75% and 25% of the pool, never less than 750 and 250). Weekly prize: 750 BCP to 1st and 250 BCP to 2nd, adding up your public daily contests from Monday to Sunday, paid on Monday. Tied places split the combined prize of those places.
  3. BCP can be used across all BracketContest contests and redeemed for gift cards.
  4. Your BCP balance is always visible in My Wallet — no wallet connection needed.
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Chapter 4OFF-SEASONLIVE

NFL Survivor Rules

Pick one NFL team per week. You can't repeat a team. Lose once — you're out.

NFL Weeks
18
ways to play
3
Format
Survivor
Leagues
Public + Private

How It Works

  1. Each week, pick one NFL team to win their game.
  2. You cannot pick the same team twice in a season.
  3. Picks lock at kickoff — set yours early!
  4. The season runs weeks 1–18 of the NFL regular season.

Three contests, three rulesets

  1. Classic - one pick a week, and once you have used a team you can never pick them again. The hardest one: 18 weeks, 32 teams, no repeats.
  2. Repeat Teams - same survival rules, but you can pick the same team as often as you like. Found a team you trust? Ride them all season.
  3. Against the Spread - your team does not just have to win, it has to cover the betting line. Repeats are allowed here too.
  4. If no line is available for a game in the Against the Spread contest, that pick is graded straight-up instead.

Deadlines & locks

Elimination Rules

  1. If your team loses, you're eliminated — no second chances.
  2. If you miss a pick when games are locked, you may be eliminated.
  3. Once eliminated, you can spectate but not pick.
  4. A cancelled or postponed game voids the pick - it does not eliminate you, and you pick again.

Prizes

Prize Pool

  1. Prize money is split among the final survivors.
  2. The last player(s) standing at season's end win the prize pool.
  3. The entry fee is shown on the contest card before you join, and it is always paid in BCP.

Private Leagues

  1. Create a private group to compete with friends.
  2. Share your invite code so friends can join.
  3. Private league standings are tracked separately from public contests.
  4. Challenge your group to see who survives the whole season.
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Chapter 5College FootballLIVE

College Football Survivor

Big Ten and SEC, each with its own contest. One pick a week, one loss and you are out.

conferences
2
you pick your league
Big Ten / SEC
and you are out
One loss
prize pool each
5,000 BCP

Big Ten and SEC are separate contests

  1. Each week you only see the games where a team from that conference is playing.
  2. Pick one team a week. Once you have used a team, you cannot pick them again.
  3. You can play both conferences at the same time - they are independent contests, each with its own prize pool.
  4. College is its own category, not an NFL variant. The schedule, the teams and the contest are all separate.

Survival

  1. Your team wins, you move on. Your team loses, your run ends there.
  2. A tie eliminates you, same as a loss.
  3. A cancelled or postponed game voids the pick - you are not eliminated and you pick again.

Prizes

Winning

  1. Last player standing takes the pool.
  2. If several players survive the season, the pool is split between them.
  3. If everyone is eliminated in the same week, the pool is shared by those who lasted longest.
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Chapter 6ACTIVE · 2026 SEASONLIVE

NFL Pick'em Rules

Pick the winner of every NFL game each week. Every correct pick adds to your season total.

Weeks / Season
18
Entry
Varies
Contests
Weekly
Private Leagues
Groups

Weekly Contests

  1. One contest per NFL week, covering all scheduled games.
  2. Open to every registered player. The entry fee and the prize pool are shown on the contest card before you join.
  3. Contests run from Thursday night through Monday night each week. Join late and pay less: the fee is prorated to the games that have not kicked off yet.

How to Pick

  1. Select the straight-up winner of each NFL game (no spread).
  2. You can join the week's contest and change any pick until that game kicks off.
  3. Partial entries are accepted — score on every correct pick you made.

Deadlines & locks

Lock & Scoring

  1. Each game locks at its own kickoff. The week closes when its last game kicks off.
  2. 1 point per correct pick. Games already underway when you join cannot be picked.
  3. Full season leaderboard tracks cumulative points across all weeks.

Leaderboards & Groups

  1. Global and private group leaderboards available.
  2. Create or join private groups with your friends — same season-long format.
  3. Group chat included in every private group.
  4. Groups persist the entire NFL season.

Prizes

Prizes

  1. Weekly pools pay the top 5 places. The pool and the split are on each contest before you join.
  2. Tied places split the combined prize of those places.
  3. Prizes are paid automatically in BCP once the week's last game is final.
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Chapter 7ACTIVE · LIVELIVE

Squares Contest Rules

BracketContest Squares contests use a grid of 100 squares. Each square represents one combination of the last digit of Team A's score and the last digit of Team B's score. Winning numbers are based on each team's cumulative game score at the end of the designated period, not the points scored during that period alone.

Squares
100
Payout checkpoints
4
Entry
Varies
Prize
Pool

Entering a contest

  1. Choose a Squares contest and review its game, square price or entry requirement, prize pool, deadlines, and payout table.
  2. Depending on the contest, you may select available squares or receive squares assigned at random.
  3. A square is yours only after the entry is accepted and appears on the contest grid.
  4. A player may hold more than one square unless the specific contest says otherwise.
  5. Entries close at the time shown for that contest; squares cannot be changed after the grid locks.

Assigning the numbers

  1. The grid has 10 rows for one team and 10 columns for the other.
  2. Each axis contains the digits 0 through 9 once.
  3. The row and column digits are randomly assigned after the game begins, at the time specified on the individual contest page.
  4. The displayed team labels and assigned digits determine which score combination belongs to each square.
  5. The completed grid and number assignment remain visible in the contest record.

Determining a winning square

  1. At the end of each designated period, take the last digit of each team's cumulative score at that moment.
  2. Find the square at the intersection of those two digits.
  3. The owner of that square wins that period's prize.
  4. A team with 17 cumulative points contributes the digit 7; a team with 20 contributes 0.
  5. For example, if the score is Team A 7-3 after the first quarter and 17-10 at halftime, the first-quarter numbers are 7 and 3 and the halftime numbers are 7 and 0. The halftime winner is based on 17-10, not on the second-quarter points of 10-7.
  6. The same square can win more than one period. Each period is settled separately.

Prizes

Default payout table

  1. Unless the individual contest displays a different payout table before entry, the net prize pool is awarded as follows:
PeriodWinning score
End of first quarterCumulative score after Q1
Halftime (end of second quarter)Cumulative score after Q2
End of third quarterCumulative score after Q3
FinalOfficial final cumulative score, including overtime if played
  1. Net Prize Pool: the total contest prize pool available for payout after any commission, fee, or deduction disclosed on the contest page. The net prize pool and any fee or deduction must be displayed on the contest page before entry.
  2. The four percentages total 100%.
  3. If one square wins multiple checkpoints, its owner receives the sum of those checkpoint prizes.
  4. Payouts are calculated from the final net prize pool, subject to the rounding method displayed for the contest.

Overtime and official scoring

  1. Overtime does not create an extra payout checkpoint under the default table.
  2. The Final prize uses the official final score after any overtime.
  3. Quarter prizes use the score recorded at the end of the applicable regulation quarter.
  4. A scoring play counts for the checkpoint in which the official game record places it.
  5. Results are settled using the official score source named on the contest page.
  6. A later correction is handled under the contest's published settlement policy.

Unclaimed squares and incomplete grids

  1. Every square on the grid must have an owner before the numbers are drawn.
  2. After player purchases close, the house takes all remaining unclaimed squares.
  3. In a contest with a guaranteed minimum prize, unclaimed squares belong to the house.
  4. In a contest where players purchase squares with cash, the house purchases every unbought square on the same stated square-price terms before the number draw; the house's purchases are included in the prize pool calculation.
  5. If a house-owned square matches a winning score, the house receives that checkpoint's prize.
  6. The completed grid identifies house-owned squares before the digits are assigned.
  7. Unclaimed squares are never assigned retroactively after the draw.

Cancellations & changes

Postponed, canceled, or incomplete games

  1. If the game is officially postponed, the Squares contest is canceled.
  2. The contest does not carry over to the rescheduled game.
  3. Player entry payments for the canceled contest are returned under the posted payment terms; no quarter or final prizes are paid from that canceled contest.
  4. If a game is canceled, abandoned, or ends without an official final score, BracketContest will post a settlement notice and apply the contest's published cancellation and refund terms.

Eligibility & disputes

Eligibility and disputes

  1. Participants must meet the age, location, account, and payment requirements shown for the contest.
  2. BracketContest may review suspected duplicate accounts, fraud, or manipulation under its general terms.
  3. To dispute a square assignment, number draw, score, or payout, contact the Help Center with the contest and grid details.
  4. BracketContest will review the recorded grid, draw, and official score source and provide a decision.
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Rules for every contest

Eligibility, BCP and prize redemptions apply to every format and are set out in the Terms of Service.

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