Sports pool glossary
A sports pool is a friendly prediction game where a group makes picks on real games and competes on a leaderboard for bragging rights - no betting, no money. Here’s what every format and term actually means.
What is a survivor pool?
- A survivor pool (also called an eliminator or knockout pool) is a last-one-standing game: each round you pick one team to win, and a single wrong pick eliminates you. You usually can't reuse a team all season, and the final survivor wins the pool. Run a survivor pool
What is a pick'em pool?
- A pick'em pool is a game where everyone picks the winner of each game in a slate - a week of NFL games, for example. You score a point per correct pick, and the most points wins. It's the most popular office-pool format because anyone can play without knowing spreads. Run a pick'em pool
What is a confidence pool?
- A confidence pool is a pick'em variant where you also rank how sure you are: with 10 games, you assign 10 points to your most confident pick down to 1 for your least. You earn a pick's points only if it's right, so ranking is the whole strategy. Run a confidence pool
What is a bracket pool?
- A bracket pool is a contest where everyone fills out a single-elimination tournament bracket before it starts - most famously March Madness - and scores points as their picked teams advance. Later rounds are worth more, so calling the champion matters most. Run a March Madness pool
What is a golf pool?
- A golf pool is a game where each player picks golfers for a tournament - like the Masters or a weekly PGA Tour event - and scores based on how those golfers finish. Formats include drafting a set of golfers, one-and-done (one golfer per event, no reusing), and salary-cap lineups. Run a golf pool
What is a sweepstake?
- A sweepstake (or sweepstakes) randomly draws teams, players, or horses to the people in your group - one each - so everyone roots for whoever they're assigned. It's the classic office draw for the World Cup, the Grand National, or the Super Bowl, with no skill required. Use the sweepstake generator
What is a one-and-done pool?
- One-and-done is a survivor-style rule where you pick one entry per round - a team or a golfer - and can't use it again for the rest of the season. With every pick you spend a star you'll never get back, so budgeting your best options across the schedule is the real game. Run a survivor pool
What are prediction points (PP)?
- Prediction points (PP) are the non-monetary points you earn on Trofeo.live for correct picks and predictions. They drive the leaderboard and the bragging rights - there's no cash, no wagering, and no payouts. PP is the score, not a currency you buy or cash out. Start scoring PP
What is a pool commissioner?
- The commissioner (or pool host) is the person who sets up a pool, picks the rules, invites players, and settles any disputes. On Trofeo.live the commissioner job is mostly automatic - picks are graded and the leaderboard updates on their own - so hosting is just sharing a link. Become a commissioner
What is a buyback or mulligan?
- A buyback (or mulligan) is an optional rule that lets an eliminated player re-enter a survivor pool once, or gives everyone one free wrong pick before they're out. It softens the early-season bloodbath and keeps more people alive - and trash-talking - deeper into the season. Run a survivor pool
Know the lingo? Start a pool.
Pick a format, share one link, and let Trofeo.live keep score - auto-graded picks, live leaderboard, zero admin.