Know The Rules
General Contest Rules
- Super Bowl bracket picks can be made and changed up until kickoff. (Note: kickoff time is set for 6:30 PM.)
- Once “kickoff time” is reached, picks will be closed and cannot be made or changed.
- Make your picks in each category of this year’s Super Bowl game — there are 12 different picks for the Super Bowl bracket contest.
- You cannot view other bracketeer’s picks until the game starts and all picks are locked in.
Points Assessment – Awards & Penalties
- Points are awarded in 3 categories — by picking game scores (end of each quarter), picking the winning team (Vince Lombardi Trophy winner), and picking the MVP (Most Valuable Player).
- Scores Throughout Game (5 picks): you can receive up to +105 points for accurately picking game scores as follows–
- +10 points awarded for picking leader’s points, trailer’s points, and point total at the end of the 1st quarter:
- 3 of 10 points for picking leader’s exact score & 3 of 10 points for picking trailer’s exact score, or
- 1 mercy point if within ±1 point of leader’s exact score & 1 mercy point if within ±1 point of trailer’s exact score.
- 4 of 10 points if the sum of your score-picks equals the exact point total, or
- 2 mercy points if the sum of your score-picks is within ±2 points of exact point total.
- +20 points awarded for picking leader’s points, trailer’s points, and point total at the end of the 2nd quarter:
- 6 of 20 points for picking leader’s exact score & 6 of 20 points for picking trailer’s exact score, or
- 2 mercy points if within ±2 points of leader’s exact score & 2 mercy points if within ±2 points of trailer’s exact score.
- 8 of 20 points if the sum of your score-picks equals the exact point total, or
- 4 mercy points if the sum of your score-picks is within ±3 points of exact point total.
- +30 points awarded for picking leader’s points, trailer’s points, and point total at the end of the 3rd quarter:
- 9 of 30 points for picking leader’s exact score & 9 of 30 points for picking trailer’s exact score, or
- 3 mercy points if within ±3 points of leader’s exact score & 3 mercy points if within ±3 points of trailer’s exact score.
- 12 of 30 points if the sum of your score-picks equals the exact point total, or
- 6 mercy points if the sum of your score-picks is within ±4 points of exact point total.
- +40 points awarded for picking winner’s points, loser’s points, and total points at the end of the 4th quarter (same as end of game if no overtime required):
- 12 of 40 points for picking leader’s exact score & 12 of 40 points for picking trailer’s exact score, or
- 4 mercy points if within ±4 points of leader’s exact score & 4 mercy points if within ±4 points of trailer’s exact score.
- 16 of 40 points if the sum of your score-picks equals the exact point total, or
- 8 mercy points if the sum of your score-picks is within ±5 points of exact point total.
- +5 points awarded for picking the point total in overtime, if overtime is required (pick is optional). If picked:
- 5 of 5 points for picking exact overtime total, or
- 2 mercy points for picking within ±2 points of overtime total.
- Point deductions (overtime only):
- -2 points deducted if you pick an overtime score and game does not go into overtime, or
- -2 points deducted if you do not pick an overtime score and game goes into overtime.
- Note: you will not be picking points according to specific team, rather point picks apply to whoever the leader/winner and trailer/loser is in the game. Score picking format is 99-99. Example 7-3 (no spaces, letters or special characters except the hyphen).
- Pick Winning Team (1 pick): choose who you think will win the game as follows:
- +5 points awarded for picking the winning team, or
- -3 points deducted for picking the losing team.
- Pick Game’s MVP (6 picks): you can receive up to +15 points for correctly picking the most valuable player as follows:
- +15 points are awarded if your 1st choice player is the game’s MVP, or
- +10 points are awarded if your 2nd choice player is the game’s MVP, or
- +5 points are awarded if your 3rd choice player is the game’s MVP.
- You can pick a total of 6 players — 3 from the AFC Championship team and 3 from the NFC Championship team, in choice order.
- There are no penalty points deducted in the MVP category.
Walkthrough Scenario (using Super Bowl XLIV as example, except for #6)
- Example #1 – The score at the end of the 1st quarter is 10-0 and you picked it to be 7-3. (How did I do?)
- You earn no points for the leader’s score which is 10. You picked 7.
- You earn no points for the trailer’s score which is 0. You picked 3.
- You earn a total of +4 points for picking the exact point total of 10 [10+0]. You picked 10 [7+3].
- Reminder you are not picking points by team, simply points by leader and trailer.
- Example #2 – The score at the end of the 2nd quarter is 10-6 and you picked it to be 10-3. (How did I do?)
- You earn +6 points for picking the leader’s exact point total of 10.
- You earn no points for the trailer’s score which is 6. You picked 3.
- You earn +4 “mercy” points for picking within ±3 of the exact point total of 16 [10+6]. You picked 13 [10+3].
- So you are awarded a total of +10 points for the 2nd quarter score.
- Reminder you are not picking points by team, simply points by leader and trailer.
- Example #3 – The score at the end of the 3rd quarter is 17-16 and you picked it to be 24-16. (How did I do?)
- You earn no points for the leader’s score which is 17. You picked 24.
- You earn a total of +9 points for the trailer’s exact point total of 16.
- You earn no points for the total score of 33 [17+16]. You picked 40 [24+16].
- Reminder you are not picking points by team, simply points by leader and trailer.
- Example #4 – The score at the end of the 4th quarter is 31-17 and you picked it to be 35-21. (How did I do?)
- You earn +4 “mercy” points for picking within ±4 of the leader’s score of 31. You picked 35.
- You earn +4 “mercy” points for picking within ±4 of the trailer’s score of 17. You picked 21.
- You earn no points for the total score of 48 [31+17]. You picked 56 [35+21].
- So you are awarded a total of +8 points for the 4th quarter score.
- Reminder you are not picking points by team, simply points by leader and trailer.
- Example #5 – The game is decided in regulation but you elected to pick 6 overtime points. (How did I do?)
- You are deducted -2 points for inaccurately predicting overtime.
- No points are awarded when the game does not go into overtime and you accurately predicted it would not. Sorry.
- Reminder that picking overtime points is purely optional.
- Example #6 – The game is decided by 3 points in overtime and you elected not to pick overtime points. (How did I do?)
- You are deducted -2 points for not anticipating overtime.
- Had you predicted overtime and picked 3 points, you would have earned +5 points.
- Had you predicted overtime and picked 1, 2, 4, or 5 points, you would have earned +2 “mercy” points.
- Reminder that picking overtime points is purely optional.
- And here’s a little hint … if the game goes into overtime your score picks in the 4th quarter ought to equal each other ;-) That’s a free one on us for reading the Rule Book.
- Example #7 – New Orleans Saints beat Indianapolis Colts and you picked new Orleans to win. (How did I do?)
- You earn +5 points for correctly picking the Saints.
- However, had you picked the Colts to win you would have been penalized -3 points.
- Example #8 – Drew Brees is the Game’s MVP and you picked him as your 2nd choice for the Saints. (How did I do?)
- You earn +10 points for correctly picking Drew Brees, but only as your 2nd choice.
- Had you picked Drew as your 1st choice, you would have earned +15 points.
- Conversely, if you picked Drew as your 3rd choice for the Saints, you would have earned +5 points.
- Reminder that no points are awarded if the MVP is not on either of your 2 lists (home and away).
Point Summaries
- Point maximums and minimums — each category:
- The most you can earn in the 1st Quarter is 10 points (3 points + 3 points + 4 points)
- The most you can earn in the 2nd Quarter is 20 points (6 points + 6 points + 8 points)
- The most you can earn in the 3rd Quarter is 30 points (9 points + 9 points + 12 points)
- The most you can earn in the 4th Quarter is 40 points (12 points + 12 points + 16 points)
- The most you can earn from Overtime (if played) is 5 points
- The most you can earn for picking the Winning Team is 5 points
- The most you can earn for picking the Game MVP is 15 points
- The most you can be penalized for Overtime (whether played or not) is -2 points
- The most you can be penalized for picking the Losing Team is -3 points
- The total points you can earn for the 2018 NFL Super Bowl Bracket is 125 Points
- The total points you can lose for the 2018 NFL Super Bowl Bracket is -5 Points
Tie Breakers
- Tie-break Procedure (head-to-head Bracketeer comparison of the following, in order, until winner is determined):
- Most points from “Picking the Point Totals in Quarters 1-4” category
- Most points from “Picking the Leader Points in Quarters 1-4” category
- Most points from “Picking the Trailer Points in Quarters 1-4” category
- Most points from “Picking the Point Total in Overtime” category
- Most points from “Picking the Game’s MVP” category
- Most points from “Picking the Winning Team” category
- Flip-a-Coin (amongst yourselves, please)
Final Contest Rules
- It’s free so anyone can join…tell your family, friends and Super Bowl party guests to sign up.
- Good luck and have some fun…hey, that’s what Super Bowl parties are all about!