NFL Pick’em Rules: Scoring, Spreads, Lock Times and Tiebreakers
NFL pick’em rules are simple at the core: pick the winner of every game each week, earn one point for each correct pick, and the player with the most points wins. The details that need deciding are whether picks are straight up or against the spread, when picks lock, how ties and missed picks are scored, and which tiebreaker settles a close week.
This guide sets out a standard NFL pick’em rulebook, explains each rule, and ends with a version you can copy into your own league. New to the format? Start with what a pick’em league is.
What are the basic NFL pick’em rules?
- Pick every game. Each week, every player picks a winner in every NFL game on the schedule, usually 13 to 16 games depending on byes.
- One point per correct pick. A wrong pick scores zero. There is no penalty for a miss.
- Picks lock at kickoff. Once a game starts, its pick is frozen.
- Weekly and season standings. The most correct picks in a week wins the week; the highest total across the season wins the league.
- A tiebreaker settles ties. Usually a guess at the total points in one game, typically Monday night.
That is a complete NFL pick’em league. Each rule below has a standard version and a common alternative.
Straight up or against the spread?
Straight up means you only pick who wins. It is the default and the easiest rule to explain to a casual group.
Against the spread means each game has a point spread, and you pick whether the favorite will win by more than the spread or the underdog will keep it closer. It makes every game close to a coin flip, which rewards knowledge more than picking favorites. Decide one way for the whole season. The trade-offs are covered in against the spread versus straight up.
On Pocket Office Pool this is a setting on the Rules tab: Use Point Spreads scores picks against the spread, while Show Point Spreads displays the lines for reference but still scores straight up. There is also an optional rule that awards double points for a correct underdog pick, a middle ground some groups like.
When do NFL pick’em picks lock?
There are two standard choices:
- Lock each game at its own kickoff. Thursday games lock Thursday, Sunday games lock Sunday, Monday games lock Monday. Players can make their Sunday picks after watching Thursday night. This is the most common rule.
- Lock the whole week at the first kickoff. All picks are due before Thursday night. Simpler, and nobody gets late injury news, but players who forget on Thursday miss the whole week.
Write the rule down and post it where players see it. Pocket Office Pool locks picks at kickoff automatically, and commissioners can lock a week manually from the Weeks tab.
How do ties and missed picks score?
Tied games. NFL ties are rare but happen. Most leagues score a tie as zero for everyone, which keeps the standings fair since nobody picked correctly. Some leagues give everyone a point instead. Either works if all players are treated the same.
Missed picks. A game with no pick scores zero. That is the standard rule, and it is usually enough of a reminder on its own. Avoid rules that auto-pick for absent players; they create disputes about which team should have been chosen.
What tiebreaker do NFL pick’em leagues use?
The standard tiebreaker is a guess at the combined final score of one game, usually Monday night. The closest guess wins the week. Two settings to decide:
- Question: total points (combined score) or margin of victory.
- Ranking: closest guess, or closest without going over.
Pocket Office Pool supports both questions and both ranking methods. Every option and when to use it is in the football pool tiebreaker rules guide.
Do you have to pick every game?
In a standard NFL pick’em league, yes. Some leagues shorten the week instead: the commissioner chooses a slate of games, or each player picks a set number of games from the full schedule, such as 10 of 16. Both options are on the Rules tab as the curated weekly slate and picks per week settings. Shorter weeks suit casual office groups; full weeks suit competitive ones.
Does an NFL pick’em league include the playoffs?
Your choice. Most leagues run Weeks 1 to 18 and crown a season winner there. Some continue through Wild Card weekend and the later rounds, either as part of the season total or as a separate playoff contest. The schedule on Pocket Office Pool includes the playoff rounds, so either option works without extra setup.
An NFL pick’em rulebook you can copy
[League name] NFL Pick’em Rules, 2026 season
1. Picks. Pick the winner of every game each week, [straight up / against the spread].
2. Scoring. One point per correct pick. Wrong and missed picks score zero. Tied games score [zero for everyone].
3. Deadline. Each pick locks at that game’s kickoff.
4. Weekly winner. Most correct picks in the week. Ties are broken by the closest guess at the [total points] in the [Monday night] game, [closest without going over].
5. Season winner. Most correct picks over Weeks 1 to 18. [Playoff weeks are / are not included.]
6. Entry and prizes. [Free, bragging rights only / entry fee and payout split.]
7. Disputes. The commissioner decides anything these rules do not cover.
For prize splits, see football pool payout structures.
How do you set up an NFL pick’em league with these rules?
Create a pool on Pocket Office Pool, choose Pick Em as the pool type and NFL as the league, then set spreads, tiebreakers and the weekly slate on the Rules tab. The full walkthrough is in how to create an NFL pick’em pool, and the format page is NFL pick’em pool hosting. It is not too late in the season; a league can start in any week.
When you are ready, create your pick’em league. The first 4 seats are free, then it is $3 per player beyond the free 4.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rules of NFL pick’em?
Each week you pick the winner of every NFL game. Each correct pick earns one point, and picks lock when each game kicks off. The player with the most correct picks wins the week, and the highest season total wins the league. Ties are usually broken by a guess at the total points in the Monday night game.
How many points is each correct pick worth in NFL pick’em?
One point in a standard pick’em league. If you want some picks to count more than others, that is a confidence pool, where you rank your picks and earn the points you assigned.
What happens if an NFL game ends in a tie in pick’em?
Most leagues score a tie as zero for every player, since nobody picked a winner. Some award everyone a point. Set the rule before the season.
Can you change your pick’em picks after submitting them?
Usually yes, until the game kicks off. Once a game starts its pick is locked. If your league locks the whole week at the first kickoff, all picks are final from Thursday night.
Is NFL pick’em against the spread or straight up?
Either. Straight up is the default and the easier version. Against the spread makes games harder to call and rewards closer study. Each league picks one rule for the season.