How to run an office pick'em
To run an office pick'em you need five things: a list of games, a way for people to pick before kickoff, a rule for scoring, someone to grade the results, and a place to post the standings. Leave out the entry fee and the prize and it stays a game instead of a gambling pool.
The eight steps
- Settle the rules before week one. Classic scoring is one point for each correct pick. Confidence scoring has people rank their picks. Decide the tiebreaker now, too. The rules page explains each choice.
- Keep money out. No entry fee and no prize. It's the simplest way to stay clear of gambling law and of HR. Here's how a no-money pool works.
- Check the policy. If your workplace has a rule about pools, follow it. If it has none, this sample policy is a place to start.
- Choose the games. Every game of the week, or a short list. Add a house question or two so the people who don't follow sports have something to win.
- Get the sheet to everyone. A link, an email or a printed page. The free sheet maker prints one from any schedule.
- Lock picks at kickoff. A pick turned in after the game starts isn't a pick. Lock each game at its own start time, so a Thursday game doesn't close the Sunday games.
- Grade the finals. Mark every card when the games end. Decide ahead of time what a tie game is worth. A push that scores nothing for anyone is the usual answer.
- Post the standings on Monday. Name the weekly winner. Say something about who went out on a limb. The recap is the part people talk about.
By hand, or with the Commish
By hand that's four jobs every week: type the schedule, chase the picks, grade every card and update the standings. It works. It's also a lot to ask of one volunteer, every week, for a whole season.
| Job | By hand | With Breakroom Pick'em |
|---|---|---|
| Build the sheet | Type the schedule into a document or a spreadsheet | The Commish drafts it from a schedule, a screenshot or a sentence, and you approve it |
| Collect the picks | Paper, email or a form, and reminders to the stragglers | One link and no accounts. The league can post a reminder to your chat before picks lock |
| Lock at kickoff | Trust, and an argument now and then | A clock locks each game at its own kickoff. Picks stay private until then |
| Grade | Look up every final and mark every card | The Commish looks up the finals and shows its sources. One tap to confirm, or autopilot |
| Standings and recap | Update the spreadsheet and write the email | The standings update themselves and the Monday memo writes itself |
Keeping it alive all season
- Give the week its own winner, so someone who's out of the season race still has something to play for on Sunday.
- Hand out the Wooden Spoon. Last place for the week is a better story than fifth.
- Let people drop their worst week or two, so one missed week doesn't end a season.
- Make one week count double. Rivalry week or the playoffs are the obvious ones.
- Put the standings where people walk past them. A TV in the break room works.
Questions
How many players can join?
Up to 40 on Huddle, 100 per league on Varsity and 250 per league on Franchise. There's no minimum, but the Lone Wolf bonus needs at least 4 players picking a game.
What about people who don't follow sports?
They can play, and sometimes they win. A pick is one tap, the Lone Wolf bonus rewards picking against the crowd, and the Captain can add questions that have nothing to do with sports.
What's the difference between classic and confidence?
Classic is one point for each right pick. In confidence, each player ranks their picks, and a right pick is worth the number they put on it. So the pick you're surest about is worth the most. The Captain chooses one for the league.
When do picks lock?
Each game locks at its own kickoff, so a Thursday game doesn't lock the Sunday games. A golf tournament or a race locks when it starts. Your picks are hidden until that game kicks off. After that, everyone in the league can see them.
Can I run the league without the AI?
Yes. Paste or type the schedule and the sheet gets built from it. Tap the winners when the games end. The standings, the awards and a basic Monday memo still happen on their own. That's how a league runs for free after the first year.
Written by the person who builds Breakroom Pick'em at Lind-Sac AI Solutions LLC, Omaha, Nebraska. Last reviewed .