Football Squares Rules
Football squares rules are short. Most arguments come from choices nobody made before the game, so this page lists the rules of play and the choices a host should settle first.
What are the basic rules of football squares?
Players take squares on a grid until it is full. Then the numbers 0 to 9 are drawn at random for the top row and for the side column. At the end of each quarter, the last digit of each team’s score points to one square, and its owner wins that quarter.
- One team goes across the top of the grid. The other goes down the side.
- Each player writes a name in one or more empty squares.
- No numbers are drawn until every square is taken.
- The numbers 0 to 9 are drawn at random, once for the top row and once for the side column.
- There are 4 checkpoints: the end of the 1st quarter, halftime, the end of the 3rd quarter and the final score.
- At each checkpoint, take the last digit of each team’s score.
- The square where the top digit and the side digit meet wins that checkpoint.
- The same square can win more than once.
For a worked example, see how to play football squares.
What rules should the host set before kickoff?
The host sets 8 things before the first square is taken: the cost per square, a limit per player, when the numbers are drawn, the payout split, the overtime rule, the rule for empty squares, the payment deadline and how prizes are paid. Write them under the grid.
| Choice | Common rule |
|---|---|
| Cost per square | One price for every square, or free |
| Limit per player | No limit, or a set number so everyone gets a share |
| Number draw | After the grid is full and before kickoff |
| Payout split | 25% at each checkpoint, or 20, 20, 20 and 40 |
| Overtime | The final score, with overtime, decides the last prize |
| Empty squares | The prize carries over to the next checkpoint |
| Payment deadline | Before the numbers are drawn |
| Paying prizes | Right after the game, by the host |
The football squares payouts page compares the splits and has a calculator.
How should the numbers be drawn?
Draw the numbers only after every square is taken, and do it where players can watch. Pull slips numbered 0 to 9 from a cup for the top row, put them back, then draw again for the side column. An online grid can draw both sets for you in one click.
What are the overtime rules in football squares?
The standard rule is that the final prize goes to the final score, with overtime included. The end of the 4th quarter does not pay on its own. A host can choose to pay both, but that must be decided before kickoff and written under the grid.
What happens to empty squares?
Try to fill every square before the draw. If some stay empty, choose one rule: share them out among the players, or leave them empty and carry the prize to the next checkpoint when an empty square wins. For a small group, a 50 or 25 square grid avoids the problem.
Football squares rules you can copy
Paste these under your grid or into a group message. Change the parts in brackets.
- Each square costs [amount]. Pay before the numbers are drawn.
- Each player may take up to [number] squares.
- Numbers are drawn at random once every square is taken.
- Winners are decided by the last digit of each team’s score at the end of the 1st quarter, halftime, the end of the 3rd quarter and the final score.
- Prizes: [split]. The final score includes overtime.
- If an empty square wins, that prize carries over to the next checkpoint.
- The host pays all prizes after the game.
Football Squares Rules FAQ
Who decides the rules in football squares?
The host. The game has no official rule book, so the host sets the choices and shares them before anyone takes a square.
Can a player choose which numbers they get?
No. Players choose squares. The numbers are drawn at random after the grid is full.
Can one player take more than 1 square?
Yes, unless the host sets a limit. A limit helps when many people want to play.
Which team goes on top of the grid?
It does not matter. Many hosts put the home team on top. Just write both names on the grid before the draw.
What if the score does not change during a quarter?
The same square wins again. Each checkpoint is decided by the score at that moment.
Do the rules change for college football?
No. Any football game that is scored by quarter uses the same rules.
Are football squares allowed where I live?
It depends on where you live and on whether money is involved. Rules on paid pools differ from state to state, so check your local rules. A free game played for fun is the simple choice.
Keep the rules simple
Good football squares rules fit on a few lines. Settle the choices, write them under the grid and stick to them. If money is involved, read are football squares legal first. Then create a grid online or print one.
Football Squares Hub is an independent website. It is not affiliated with the NFL, the NCAA or any team.