Create the pool in a minute
Name the pool, add the two teams, choose 10×10 or 5×5, and set the cost per square plus the payout split. The board is created as a draft with every square empty and every number hidden. You get two links: a public link to share with players and a private admin link that controls the pool. Keep the admin link out of the group chat. Anyone with it can lock the board, edit squares and enter scores.
Players claim squares without an account
Players open the public link and tap an empty square. They type a name, up to 24 characters, and the square is theirs. One device can claim several squares, which is useful for a family that buys a block of four. There is no email, password or app install. If someone makes a typo, the host can edit or clear the square from the admin view before the board locks.
Lock the board, then draw the numbers
When the board is ready to close, the host taps Lock. The server shuffles 0–9 for the row axis and 0–9 for the column axis using a cryptographic random source, stores the result and reveals it on both sides of the grid. Before the lock, every axis shows a question mark, so nobody can pick a square based on its digits. The draw is final once it happens; if you need to restart, create a new pool rather than editing a locked board.
Enter scores and find the winner
After each period, the host enters the two team scores. The pool compares the last digit of each score to the row and column numbers and highlights the winning square. The payout for that period is shown next to the winner. Scores are entered manually, so there is no delay waiting for a live feed and no risk of a provider mapping the wrong game. The final entry includes overtime.
Admin controls and payment tracking
The admin view shows every square and the name on it, and lets you edit or clear a square before the lock. One credit adds the money tools: mark squares paid or unpaid, see the total collected, and export the board as a CSV for a treasurer or a shared drive. It also unlocks a password for claiming squares, custom colors and a title banner, reverse-winner payouts, and unlimited simultaneous pools. The free plan covers one pool at a time with up to 100 squares.
Use it like an app
There is no native app to install, but the online pool works like one in your phone browser. Open the public link, create a pool or claim a square, and the board fills the screen with large tap targets. On iPhone, use Share and Add to Home Screen; on Android, use the browser menu and Add to Home screen. The shortcut opens the same site, not a separate download. The football squares app page explains the browser workflow, the home-screen shortcut and the limits: scores are entered by the host, and there is no live score feed.
Before you collect money
Check your state and local laws before running a pool for money; many offices play for fun or donate the pot. If you are charging an entry fee, write the price and the payout split on the pool page and keep your own payment record; One credit adds a paid/unpaid column and a running total. The tool does not process payments or hold funds. Cash, a payment app or a charity donation all work; the pool itself only needs an accurate list.
Why an online board beats a group text
A group text loses squares, duplicates names and turns the final score into a scavenger hunt. An online board shows one current state for everyone: which squares are open, who owns each one, what the numbers are and who won each quarter. It also gives remote players the same view as the people in the room. That shared view is the main reason to move a pool online, even if the party is in one house.