Running an NFL pick'em pool looks easy from the outside. Set it up, share a code, watch the season. In reality, there are about thirty things a good commissioner handles across the season — and the ones that get skipped are the ones that cause problems in October.
This is the complete checklist. Use it before you start, during the season, and at the end.
Before the Season (July–August)
Choose Your Format
- [ ] Decide on straight up vs. ATS
- [ ] Decide on flat scoring vs. confidence points
- [ ] Decide on full slate vs. Pick 5
- [ ] Read the full format breakdown if you're undecided
- [ ] Lock in the format — don't change it after the season starts
Set the Rules
- [ ] Entry fee amount
- [ ] Payment deadline (must be before Week 1 kickoff)
- [ ] Prize structure — weekly winners, season champion, top 3 if pool is large
- [ ] Tiebreaker format — MNF combined score prediction is standard
- [ ] What happens if a game is postponed or cancelled
- [ ] Lock time policy — each game at kickoff, or all at once
- [ ] Deadline for submitting picks each week
Write It Down
- [ ] Document every rule in a single message or document
- [ ] Post it in your group chat or league message board
- [ ] Get confirmation that everyone has read it before Week 1
- [ ] Pin it somewhere so it's findable in November when someone disputes a rule
Set Up the Platform
- [ ] Create your league (invite code, format, entry fee field)
- [ ] Test the picks page yourself before inviting anyone
- [ ] Verify spreads are loading correctly
- [ ] Confirm lock times are set per-game, not all at once
Invite Your Players
- [ ] Share the invite code with everyone who said they're in
- [ ] Set a registration deadline (1–2 weeks before Week 1)
- [ ] Lock registration once you have your group set
- [ ] Note who's "in" verbally vs. who has actually created an account
Collect Money
- [ ] Set a payment deadline — the Thursday before Week 1 is standard
- [ ] Collect via Venmo, PayPal, or cash — not "I'll get you later"
- [ ] Track who has paid in your commissioner panel
- [ ] Follow up with non-payers before the deadline, not after
- [ ] Enforce the deadline — no money means no active picks
Week 1
- [ ] Post the rules publicly one more time at the start of Week 1
- [ ] Remind players of the pick submission deadline
- [ ] Verify everyone has submitted picks by kickoff
- [ ] Send a reminder to anyone who hasn't submitted by Friday/Saturday
- [ ] Confirm spreads look correct before Sunday
Every Week During the Season
Before Picks Lock
- [ ] Check that the week's games have loaded correctly
- [ ] Send a weekly picks reminder (Thursday or Friday) — one message in the group chat
- [ ] Follow up privately with anyone who missed last week
After the Week's Games Are Final
- [ ] Verify standings have updated correctly after the final game grades
- [ ] Post the weekly results in the group chat — who won the week, current standings
- [ ] Pay out the weekly prize within 48 hours
- [ ] Mark the weekly winner as paid in your records
Ongoing
- [ ] Check in with players who stop submitting around Weeks 7–10
- [ ] Track total pot collected vs. payouts made
- [ ] Note any disputes and how they were resolved (for future reference)
Mid-Season Commissioner Decisions
If a player stops submitting picks: Default picks (or zero points) are applied automatically. You don't need to do anything — just note it and decide whether to reach out privately.
If a player wants to join late: Decide before the season whether you'll allow late joiners. If yes, set a cutoff week (Week 3 or 4 at the latest). Late entrants start with the total points they would have earned if they had played from Week 1 — or zero, with a clear handicap. Either way, document and announce it before Week 1.
If a game is postponed: The game is removed from the week's slate. Confidence points are returned. No action required on your end if you're on a platform that handles this automatically.
If there's a dispute about a pick: Point to the submitted picks record. A pick is what was submitted before the lock — not what someone says they intended to submit. If your platform shows a pick was not submitted before kickoff, that's the record.
End of Season (After Week 18)
- [ ] Wait for all Week 18 games to be final before announcing results
- [ ] Confirm final standings are correct
- [ ] Post final standings in the group chat
- [ ] Give a 24–48 hour dispute window before releasing prize money
- [ ] Pay out season prizes — champion first, then runner-up if applicable
- [ ] Mark all prizes as paid in your records
- [ ] Confirm total paid out equals total collected
Post-Season (February)
- [ ] Send a "thanks for playing" message to the group
- [ ] Ask for format feedback — would anyone change the scoring, the structure, the platform?
- [ ] Gauge interest in next season while everyone's still thinking about football
- [ ] Note what caused disputes and how to prevent them next year
- [ ] Archive the season results somewhere accessible
The Rules That Prevent 90% of Problems
Most commissioner headaches come from the same handful of mistakes. Avoid these and your season runs itself.
Collect money before the season, not during it. Once someone has picks in the system, collecting from them is a favor you're asking. Before the season, it's a requirement.
Document your tiebreaker before Week 1. Not when a tie happens. Before the season.
Don't change rules mid-season. Even if you think a rule is unfair, changing it mid-season creates more problems than it solves. Document it, finish the season, change it next year.
Be consistent. If you make an exception for one player, you'll be expected to make exceptions for everyone. Every rule applied to everyone, every time.
Celebrate the weekly winners. This is the part most commissioners skip. A quick callout in the group chat — "Week 7 winner is Mike, 124 points" — is what keeps people checking in every week.
Tools That Make This Easier
A spreadsheet can technically run a pick'em pool. But you'll spend hours each week manually entering picks, calculating confidence points, tracking payments, and building standings. That's time you don't need to spend.
A dedicated platform handles all of it: pick submission, spread updates, automatic grading, standings, and payment tracking. Your job as commissioner becomes sharing the invite code, collecting money, posting results, and paying winners.
Set up your league on thepickempool — free →
Need to sort out payout structure first? Read the prize structure guide →