A March Madness squares pool for the bracket crowd

A March Madness squares pool is a grid of 100 squares, or 25 on the smaller board. Players claim squares before tip-off. Once every square has an owner, the digits 0–9 are drawn for the columns and again for the rows. At the final horn, take the last digit of each team's score and find the matching column and row. That square wins the pool. Some groups also pay at halftime or at the end of each quarter, but the final score is the common March Madness format. The digits are drawn blind, so nobody can pick a square knowing which numbers it will carry. The rules do not change because the sport is basketball; only the scores and the pace of the game change.

There are two common ways to run March Madness squares. The first is a single board for the championship game, which is the closest match to a Super Bowl pool: one game, four payouts, one winner per period. The second is a board for each round, with the same players buying into a new grid before every slate. A per-round pool keeps the group involved for three weeks, but it needs a clear deadline for each board and a way to carry the same names forward. The generator handles either approach; create a fresh board for each game and keep the payout split identical so nobody has to relearn the rules.

Start with the pool title and the two team names. Put one team across the top and the other down the side. Choose 10×10 for the standard 100-square board or 5×5 for a 25-square pool that fills quickly. Set the cost per square 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 layout fits one landscape page. If you need a March Madness squares template for a specific game, change the title and teams and print a fresh copy.

Basketball scoring moves in 2s and 3s, so the digit mix is different from football and the same square can hold the lead for long stretches. The most common March Madness format pays the final score only: one board, one winner, one payout after the horn. If the group wants more action, add halftime and quarter prizes, or use the standard four-period split. On a $5 board with 100 squares sold, the pot is $500; a final-only payout hands the whole $500 to one square, while 25/25/25/25 pays $125 per period. Write the structure on the board before you sell the first square.

For a watch party, print the board and tape it where people can reach it. For a remote bracket group, create an online pool, share the public link and let players claim squares from their phones. The host locks the board to draw the numbers, then enters the score at each period. The winning square is highlighted automatically, which is useful in a tournament where several games are on at once. The free plan covers one online pool at a time; One credit removes a pool from the free limit and payment tracking if you run a board for every round.

Check your state and local laws before running a pool for money; many offices play for fun or donate the pot. Keep the buy-in small, publish the payout split and record who paid. If your group is raising money for a cause, a squares board can work as a fundraiser, but the legal and accounting questions deserve their own answer. Keep the pool friendly and transparent, and the bracket will do the rest.