Box pool, squares pool, boxes: same game
The vocabulary changes by region and by group. A box pool is a grid of 100 boxes. A squares pool is the same grid with the cells called squares. Super Bowl boxes is the same thing tied to the big game. The rules do not change: one team on the columns, one on the rows, digits drawn after the board fills, and the last digit of each score at the end of a period selects the winning box. If you already know football squares, you already know a box pool.
How the box pool numbers work
Before the draw, the row and column headers are blank. Once every box has an owner, the digits 0–9 are drawn once for the columns and once for the rows. Each digit appears exactly once per axis, so the two axes form two complete orders. At the end of Q1, halftime, Q3 and the final, take the last digit of each team's score and find the matching column and row. The box where they meet wins that period. Only the ones digit matters: 17 and 7 both point to 7.
Build a box pool template
Add a pool title and both team names, choose 10×10 or 5×5, set the cost per box and the payout split, then choose blank numbers for a hand draw or randomized numbers for an automatic shuffle. The preview updates as you type and the print view fits one landscape page. The same board works for a Super Bowl party, a playoff game or a weekly office pool. If your group says boxes instead of squares, put that word in the title so everyone recognizes the sheet.
Box pool payouts
Most box pools pay four times: end of Q1, halftime, end of Q3 and the final. A 25/25/25/25 split keeps the prizes equal; 20/20/20/40 makes the final worth double. On a $10 box pool with 100 boxes sold, the pot is $1,000 and the even split pays $250 per period. Some groups add a reverse-winner side prize for the final, which pays the box with the row and column digits swapped. If you add it, take the money out of the stated pot rather than pretending it is extra.
Print the box pool or run it online
A printed box pool is the classic version: tape it up, pass a pen and let players write their initials. An online pool gives remote players the same view and draws the numbers automatically when the host locks the board. The host enters the score at each period and the winning box is highlighted for everyone. The free plan covers one online pool at a time, which is enough for a single party. There is no native app; the pool runs in the phone browser.
Box pool rules to settle first
Write these down before the first box is sold: the buy-in, the payout split, whether the final includes overtime, what happens to unsold boxes and whether one person can claim several. If money is involved, check your state and local laws before running a pool for money; many offices play for fun or donate the pot. A box pool is a simple game, but the details are what keep it friendly.