Football Squares Rules
Football squares is a 10×10 grid where the last digit of each team's score picks the winning square. There's no official rulebook, so your group should agree on the details below before the game.
The basic rules
- Set up the board. One team goes across the top and the other down the side.
- Fill the squares. Each person claims squares until all 100 are taken, or the organizer places names at random.
- Draw the numbers. Once the board is set, each axis gets the digits 0 to 9 once, in random order.
- Read the winners. At each scoring point, take the last digit of each team's score. Their squares cross at the winner.
Drawing the numbers last matters: nobody can choose a square because its digits look favorable. You can do both steps with the football squares generator.
How to read a winning square
Here are some example scores for a board with Team A across the top and Team B down the side:
| Score (A–B) | Top digit | Side digit |
|---|---|---|
| 14–7 | 4 | 7 |
| 20–10 | 0 | 0 |
| 27–23 | 7 | 3 |
Keep the order straight. A score of 14–7 and a score of 7–14 point to different squares, because the digits belong to specific teams.
What your group should decide
When do squares win?
Most boards use the score at the end of each quarter. Decide whether the third-quarter winner uses the score at that moment, and whether the final uses the score including overtime. Writing "final score, including overtime" settles the most common dispute.
What if the board isn't full?
Decide in advance. Common options are to wait until it fills, let existing players take the remaining squares, or let an empty winning square carry forward to the next quarter.
One board or new numbers each quarter?
Most boards use one set of numbers for the whole game. Some groups redraw each quarter, which gives more people a chance with a good digit but takes more work to track. If you do this, print a board for each quarter.
How many squares can one person take?
A limit keeps the board spread across the group. If the board isn't filling up, you can lift it near the deadline, as long as you say so upfront.
A note on money. Laws on pools played for money vary by state and country, and this guide isn't legal advice. Check the rules where you live and any workplace policy before involving money. Sports Pool Tools doesn't collect entry fees, hold money or pay prizes.