Fill your board faster, keep players updated, and automatically track scores and winners all in one place.
Choose from multiple game modes, scoring options, and prizes.
Our host tools make it easy to share your board, fill the squares, and collect payments quickly.
We update scores in real time and determine the winner for each quarter, so players can check the board themselves instead of asking you who won.
100 squares available
Playing as: You. Choose your squares!
Built on three core principles: Easy, Fun, and Fast. If you're new to hosting, start with our full guide to hosting a football squares pool or our mid-game rules for overtime and the reverse score rule. Moving your group off a printed sheet for the first time? Here is what running football squares online actually changes on game day.
Automatically track scores & winners
Scores and winners are updated in real time automatically.
Keep players updated
Players stay in the loop with updates and notifications for each game.
Mobile-optimized
Perfect for in-person events, and it works great on phones and tablets.
Multiple scoring options
Keep your players engaged with multiple game modes, like final scores, reverse scores, touching squares, and more.
Multiple game options
One board, multiple games. Run a slate for the Thanksgiving Day games, the March Madness Tournament, an NBA series, or just 1 game like the Super Bowl.
Multiple board types
Keep it classic with a 10x10 board, or tone it down with a smaller, 5x5 board for a smaller group.
Multiple sports
Choose from multiple football and basketball leagues, like the NFL, NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, and the NBA.
Fun animations
Make game day more exciting with animations for key events, scoring changes, and winners.
Fill your board faster
Our host tools make it easy to share and fill your board.
Collect payments
Players can use one-click payment links through supported payment methods, like Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, or Zelle.
Players pick their squares
Players can pick their own squares and join the pool in seconds.
| Our App | PDFs/Sheets | Other Sites | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic winner detection | Sometimes | ||
| Real-time updates | No/Manual | Sometimes | |
| Mobile-optimized | Yes/Limited | Varies | |
| Setup time | <5 minutes | 10-15+ minutes | 5-10 minutes |
| Fun animations | Rarely | ||
| Flexible payment options | Sometimes | ||
| Multiple games on 1 board | Rarely | ||
| Board Creation Limits | Unlimited | Per board | Per board |
| Cost | One Game Pass - $12.99 | Free | Free to $25/board |
Real feedback from people running Play Squares boards.
“After years of using pen and paper, this was such a welcome upgrade. It was easy to set up and share for our Super Bowl party.”
“As a host, this saves so much time and eliminates manual errors. The interface is easy for players, and I'll use this for every event I host.”
“Even my older uncle had no issues picking squares. I felt confident sharing it with everyone, and it was completely worth the price.”
An NFL board runs on the same 10x10 grid as any other squares pool. Players claim squares while the grid is still blank, the digits get randomized once every square is taken, and each square ends up holding one digit for the home team and one for the away team. What makes an NFL board its own thing is the rhythm around it: four quarters of scoring instead of one result, and a fresh matchup every week from September through January.
At the end of every quarter you take the last digit of each team's score and find where they meet on the grid. Because the score keeps moving, the winning square changes four times over one afternoon, and a square that looks dead at the end of the first quarter can be live by halftime:
| End of | Score | Winning square |
|---|---|---|
| 1st quarter | Home 7, Away 3 | 7 home, 3 away |
| Halftime | Home 14, Away 13 | 4 home, 3 away |
| 3rd quarter | Home 17, Away 20 | 7 home, 0 away |
| Final | Home 24, Away 26 | 4 home, 6 away |
Every board starts over. Squares are claimed on a blank grid again, the digits are randomized again, and the pairing that won somebody three quarters last Sunday carries nothing forward, so a group that plays all season never builds up a running scoreboard or a standings table to argue about. It also means the square price can move with the matchup, smaller for a Thursday night game nobody is that invested in and bigger for a divisional rivalry.
Play Squares follows the game while it's still being played and highlights the square that is currently on track to win the quarter if the score holds. Players open the board and see it for themselves, which is the part that saves a host the most time: no more answering "did my square win" and "which numbers do I have again" in a group chat all afternoon.
New to running one? Our walkthrough of how to play football squares covers the whole game from a player's side, start to finish.
Best for single-event hosts.
Best for hosting multiple pools over a short period, such as playoffs, tournaments, or busy game stretches.
Best for frequent or season-long hosts.
30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee
If you're not satisfied, we'll refund you. No questions asked.