NFL Survivor Pool Rules & Variations of Play

So you want to run your own NFL Survivor Pool but you don’t know the rules. Thankfully, NFL Survivor Pool rules are easy.

Each pool contestant selects one NFL team each week. Each selection is made “straight up,” meaning the contestant’s NFL pick simply has to win its game. It goes without saying that the pick must be submitted before game time (the pool runner will set a deadline that must be adhered to by the pool contestants).If the pick is correct then the Survivor Pool contestant “survives” to play the next week. The fun part is the NFL team selected cannot be used again for the rest of the NFL Season. For example: If you choose the Eagles in Week 1 you cannot use them again for the rest of the season. If the Survivor Pool contestant picks a team that loses, an incorrect pick or a game resulting in a tie, the Survivor Pool contestant is eliminated from the pool. The last remaining NFL Survivor Pool contestant without an incorrect pick wins the NFL Survivor Pool! Easy enough, right?

What happens if two or more NFL Survivor Pool Contestants make it to the end of the season without an incorrect pick? While this does not happen to often, it certainly can happen. Most pools will split the Jelly Beans or whatever you are playing for amongst the remaining NFL Survivor Pool contestants. A variation to this rule would be to continue through the playoffs with each contestant picking a team throughout the NFL Playoffs.

Speaking of variations, there are some different NFL Survivor Pool variations that you can choose to add to your NFL Survivor Pool. Some NFL Survivor Pools allow for two loses before a contestant is eliminated. At first glance this option feels like everyone will make it through the season unscathed. However, this option is not any easier picking winners.

We already mentioned most NFL Survivor Pools play with the NFL picks being “straight up.” While simply making a “straight up” winner is hard enough, some pools add the point spread system. This means as long as the Survivor Pool Contestants pick covers the spread the Survivor Pool Contestant moves on to the next week. All other rules are the same.

Another fun way to play is to play a “Loser” NFL Survivor Pool. All the normal NFL Survivor Pool rules are the same except for one glaring difference. In a “Loser” NFL Survivor Pool each contestant selects a team to lose each week. Picking a team to lose is not any easier then picking a team to win and can be very interesting when sitting with you friends rooting for a team to lose.

Now that you know the rules of a NFL Survivor Pool and are ready to start you own pool check out the How to Run an NFL Survivor Pool: Running an Eliminator Contest Tips and Advice from an Expert article from our very own expert sports handicapper Jeremy Martin. This article can be found via the above link or in our archives.