Losers Pool

NFL Losers Pool 2023


Welcome to the 16th NFL Losers Pool. Anyone can play. The fun thing about it is that it's very easy to play and there is no limit to the number of entries we can have. Multiple entries from a single player are allowed (and encouraged).

Here is the Q & A that will hopefully answer most, if not all, of your questions. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me and I will try my best to answer in a timely manner.

What is a NFL Losers Pool?

There are only 2 rules in an NFL (National Football League) Losers Pool: You have to pick an NFL team to LOSE (straight-up only, no point-spread) and you cannot pick the same team more than once during the season. The Pool will begin in Week 1 and will end when there's only 1 participant (survivor) left. You win (meaning you correctly pick a loser) and you move on to next week, you lose and there is always next year! Pretty simple, huh?

Why a Losers Pool?

There are different ways to play Pools when it comes to the NFL: fantasy pools, survivor pools, point-spread pools etc. The reason I choose to run a Losers Pool is because of its simplicity and drama. You don't have to look at all 16 match-ups on any given week as is the case with a Point-spread Pool, if you have a feel for a particular game, you can really zero in on it and try to predict the outcome of that game. This Pool is basically the Last Man Standing.

Who can play?

Absolutely anyone, as long as you pay the fee then you are all set. Players can also bring in their friends/relatives/guests as well, that`s all fine and dandy.

What is the entry fee and pay out for this Pool?

There will be a fee of $20 to play in this Pool. The reason for a fee is two-fold: It provides a monetary prize for the winner (survivor), bragging rights certainly can only go so far and, it will make people more committed to this Pool and not dropping out of sight in the middle of the season. The Lone Survivor will win the ENTIRE pot ($19 of the entry fees will go toward the payout, $1 covers scoring costs.).

When is the deadline to sign-up and pay?

The first game of the NFL Season is usually on a Thursday night. If you are picking one of those two teams you need to sign up before kickoff of that game. Otherwise, the signup deadline is by kickoff of the opening weekend games. For the first weekend, I do allow last minute sign ups up until the kickoff of each respective game (including Monday Night). Sign-up and payment will be accepted until that time. There will be absolutely no entries accepted after the start of the last game of the first weekend. You need to have your entry fee in by the first weekend of games. This is a fun pool and I do not want to have to worry about chasing down entry fees after the season has started.

 When do you have to put in the picks?

Except for the first weekend of the season, picks have to be in by 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon on any given week. This will allow me time to get them posted before the Sunday morning games. If there is an early game played on the Thursday or Saturday before and if you want to pick a team from those match-ups, you need to have your picks in before the kick-off of those games. If you are found to put in your picks after the games have started, you will be disqualified. No exceptions. Email your picks to fflchico@gmail.com. I will reply that I got your selection. In the worst-case scenario (no Internet access), you can text me your picks. I will give my phone number to registered players. It is recommended to submit your picks as early as possible each week to avoid missing the deadline. You can always edit your pick later in the week, up to the deadline, if you change your mind. Once the picks are posted on the web site, they can not be changed.  (Week 1 picks only - Since additional entries can be added up to the kickoff of each week 1 game, if no pick has been made the consensus option cannot be used. Therefore the entry will be given the 2nd option of the MNF away team. If that entry misses a 2nd time, they will get the consensus pick.)   

What if I forget to put in my picks, for whatever reasons?

Although it would be preferable if you made your selections each week, I understand that once in a while things happen that might prevent you from getting a weekly pick in. Since this is a fun/friendly league, I'm allowing up to two missed weeks, if the alternatives work for you. The first time you miss a week you will automatically be given the consensus pick of the group (the team picked most often to lose that week). If the consensus pick involves the Thursday game, the next most popular pick will be used. The second time you miss a week you will be given the away team of the Monday Night Game. If you miss a third week you will be considered eliminated. If you had already used the consensus pick, your first missed week will go to the MNF option. If both options have already been used, you will be eliminated.

Can I edit my picks?

You certainly can! As long as it is before the respective deadline, I have no problem with it. The NFL is pretty good when it comes to disclosing players injuries and things like that so once you have done research into a particular match-up and you like what you see, by all means make the post. Later on during the week, if you have doubts and/or find out something that you don't like, go ahead and change it to something else if that`s what you feel more comfortable with. This Pool is designed so that everyone will have fun and enjoy the games, I am not here to nitpick or set strict guidelines.

 Where can I see the picks and results?

The standings, results and picks will be available on the web at http://sites.google.com/site/fflchico 

 What happens if there is more than 1 survivor at the end of the regular season?

There are 18 weeks for this NFL Season. There is a chance there will be more than one Survivor at the end of the regular season; if that`s the case, the prize will be split accordingly. It will not be carried over into the post season. If all remaining entries are eliminated in the same weekend, they will all be reinstated for the following week. If, however, there are only two entries still alive and they both lose in the same week, they have two options: 1) Play again the next week to determine a winner, or 2) agree to split the prize. An agreement to split the prize must be unanimous. If one entry wants to continue playing, then the pool continues. When, and if, the field is reduced to two entries they can agree to both receive a set amount and continue to play for the remaining balance.

What happens if there is a TIE game?

Although this is rare it does happen and when it does, it will be considered a correct pick and no matter what team you choose and you will get to move on to the next week. 

 Can I have more than 1 entry?

You certainly can give yourself more chances to win. To make it easier to track the players in this pool your actual name will be your entry name. If you have more than 1 entry, simply name your team JohnSmith1, JohnSmith2, and so on. 

Is there maximum # of participants?

There will be no maximum # of participants, as long as you pay the fee, you are in. Bring in your friends/co-workers/relatives as well, it`s all good. The more, the merrier and most definitely, the bigger the prize. Last season (2022) was our biggest yet, with 239 entries! 

So what`s next?

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at fflchico@gmail.com. If you have no other questions/concerns and would like to join, simply let me know that you want to join the Pool and proceed to arrange the payment at your convenience. PayPal and Venmo are the easiest ways to pay. If you are someone I see in person you can hand me your money. The last option is to mail me your entry fee. If you need to mail it let me know and I'll provide my mailing address. 

This should pretty much cover all the points for this Pool. Like I said, it`s a very simple Pool and designed to make you enjoy the NFL season even more. So let`s make this a memorable and exciting time. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

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Chances are there will be no COVID cancellations during the 2023 season. However, just in case something happens, the modifications that were implemented for the 2020 season will stay in effect if needed.

COVID modifications for the 2020 NFL season