How to Play: March Madness Draft Pool

Overview

The March Madness Draft Pool combines the thrill of fantasy sports with the chaos and excitement of March Madness. Instead of filling out a traditional bracket, you draft teams and compete for points as the tournament unfolds.

  • Each team can only be drafted once, making strategic picks crucial.
  • Cheer for your teams throughout the tournament with live, up-to-date standings and scoring.
  • Compete against your friends in a dynamic and engaging way—no more one-and-done brackets!

How to Play

  1. 1Join or Create a Pool – Start a private or public pool and invite friends.
  2. 2Invite Your Friends – Share the invite link and build your competition.
  3. 3Live Draft with Pool Members – Each member selects teams in a snake-style draft.
  4. 4Sit Back and Watch the Madness – Track live standings and scores as games are completed.

The team that racks up the most points wins the pool!

Scoring System

Default Scoring

Your teams earn points for each win, increasing each round:

  • Round 11 point per win
  • Round 22 points per win
  • Round 3 (Sweet 16)4 points per win
  • Round 4 (Elite 8)8 points per win
  • Round 5 (Final Four)16 points per win
  • Round 6 (Championship)32 points per win

Upset Bonus

By default, you earn 1 extra point per seed difference when a lower seed beats a higher seed.

Example: If a #12 seed defeats a #5 seed, you get 7 bonus points (12 - 5 = 7).

Customization: The Pool Commissioner can adjust the scoring system and upset multiplier to fit your preferred play style.

Draft Settings

  • Draft Timer – The Pool Commissioner sets the draft timer duration, controlling how long each player has to make their pick. If the user does not make the pick in the time limit they will get auto drafted a team.
  • Commissioner Control – The Commissioner has the power to pause and resume the draft at any time, allowing for flexibility in managing the draft process.
  • No Trades – Once a team is drafted, it cannot be traded or swapped. This rule ensures fairness and simplifies pool management.
  • Season-Long Commitment – The teams you draft are yours for the entire tournament. Choose wisely, as your selections will impact your entire pool experience!

Features

  • Live Draft – Experience a real-time draft with your pool members.
  • Up-to-Date Scoreboards – Track your team's progress and ranking throughout the tournament.
  • Bracket View – A visual representation of the bracket, showing which pool members own each team.
  • Team Performance Standings – Easily see which teams are earning the most points.

This isn't just a bracket pool—it's a fully immersive experience!

Visual Guide

Draftboard

Draftboard example

The draftboard shows all teams selected by each player during the draft.

Team Standings

Team standings example

Track how each NCAA team is performing throughout the tournament.

League Standings

League standings example

See how you stack up against other players in your pool.

Bracket View

Bracket view example

Visualize the tournament bracket with team ownership information.

Why Play This Format?

For Players

  • No need to stress over predicting the perfect bracket.
  • Every game matters—root for your drafted teams and earn points as they advance!
  • See real-time standings—no waiting until the tournament ends.

For Pool Commissioners

  • No more manual tracking of scores—our system does the work for you.
  • Live updates, standings, and automated scoring eliminate any confusion.
  • Players can see their scores anytime, reducing the need for updates.

Pricing

  • Creating a pool is free—you can invite members and complete the draft without payment.
  • To unlock scoring, live updates, standings, and bracket view, the commissioner must pay a one-time pool fee.
  • The commissioner can pay before or after the draft to activate these features.
Learn more about pricing

FAQ

Ready to Play?

Start a New Pool Today and Experience March Madness Like Never Before!

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