How Does a Football Square Work?

A football square pool is a popular and easy game played during football games, most notably the Super Bowl, where participants bet on the outcome based on the last digit of each team's score at the end of specific quarters.

Understanding the Grid

The core of a football square pool is a 10x10 grid, creating 100 individual squares.

• One team (e.g., the AFC team) is assigned to the rows on one side of the grid.
• The other team (e.g., the NFC team) is assigned to the columns along the top.
• Once all 100 squares are claimed or purchased, numbers from 0 to 9 are randomly assigned to the cells along the top (for the column team) and along the side (for the row team). These numbers represent the last digit of that team's score.

How to Play and Win

Participants claim or purchase squares on the grid before the numbers are assigned to the rows and columns. Once the numbers (0-9) are randomly assigned to the rows and columns, each square corresponds to a unique combination of the last digit of each team's score.

According to the reference provided: "Winning typically involves the score by the end of each quarter. The numbers on each side of the grid represent the last digit of the AFC team's score and the other represents the last digit of the NFC team's score, and whoever has that square when the quarter ends, wins."

Here's a breakdown of how winners are determined:

1. At the end of the first quarter, you look at the official score for both teams.
2. You find the last digit of the AFC team's score. This corresponds to a specific row number on the grid.
3. You find the last digit of the NFC team's score. This corresponds to a specific column number on the grid.
4. The square where that row and column intersect is the winning square for that quarter.
5. The person who claimed that square wins a predetermined prize for that quarter.

This process is typically repeated at halftime, the end of the third quarter, and the final score. The prizes for each winning moment can vary.

Example

Let's say the grid has the AFC team on the side and the NFC team on the top.

NFC Team	0	1	2	...	7	...	9
AFC Team
0
...
3					Your Square
...
9

If, at the end of a quarter, the score is:

• AFC Team: 13
• NFC Team: 27

You would look for the square at the intersection of row '3' (AFC) and column '7' (NFC). If that is your square, you win for that quarter!

Key Elements

• Grid Size: Usually 10x10 (100 squares).
• Team Assignment: One team to rows, one to columns.
• Number Assignment: Randomly assign 0-9 to rows and columns after squares are claimed.
• Winning Condition: Match the last digit of each team's score at specific points in the game (quarters, halftime, final).
• Prizes: Awarded for each winning moment, often with a larger prize for the final score.

This simple format makes football squares an accessible and exciting way to add a bit of extra fun to watching a football game.