ESPN tracks March Madness brackets using a 10-20-40-80-160-320 scoring system. However, this is no different from a standard 1-2-4-8-16-32 system, as each point value is just multiplied by 10. [2] X Research source Many simplified office pools award a single point for each correct prediction, meaning the player with the most accurate guesses at the end of the tournament is most likely to win. [3] X Research source
“Seeds” are essentially rankings that show where each team falls in their respective division. Each division has 16 teams, and they’re seeded from 1 to 16. [5] X Expert Source Ryan TremblayBasketball Coach Expert Interview. 13 November 2020. Seed numbers change every season, so make sure the listing you’re looking at is up-to-date.
You’ll use these seed pairings to predict which teams you think will advance in the tournament. In the first round of games, high seeds play against low seeds. The #1 seed in each division will play the #16 seed, the #2 seed will play the #15 seed, #3 will play #14, and so on. [7] X Expert Source Ryan TremblayBasketball Coach Expert Interview. 13 November 2020.
For the first round of action, you’ll be predicting 32 teams that you think have the best chance of moving onto the second round. In the second round, you’ll select 16 of those 32 winners, and so on. It’s usually a good idea to make safe predictions in the first couple rounds to ensure that you end up with as many points as possible by the higher stakes rounds. A #16 seed is unlikely to beat a #1 seed, for instance, so picking the #1 seed will give you the best chance of scoring. [9] X Research source
The tournament unfolds in 6 rounds of games. After each round, half the number of teams from the previous round will move on until only two teams remain. You can also highlight the names of the winning teams to make them more visible at a glance. [11] X Research source
Put the number of points you receive for each correct prediction in parentheses next to the circled team name, or tally them up on a separate sheet of paper. The sixth and final round of the tournament is worth the most points in the majority of scoring systems—with a standard 1-2-4-8-16-32 scheme, it’s possible to win 32 points (the maximum number for each individual round) just by correctly guessing the outcome of the final game. [12] X Research source
To calculate the total number of points available in each round according to different scoring systems, simply multiply the point scheme for that round by the number of winning teams. In a 1-2-3-4-5-6 system, for instance, your score will be out of 128 total points, while in a 1-1-1-1-1 system it will be out of 63.
Official pools often have closed online scoring systems in place to prevent the possibility of cheating. In these pools, you’ll simply fill out your bracket, make your predictions, and let the moderators take care of the rest. [15] X Research source It’s not necessary to enter an official pool in order to follow the action of March Madness. Many players like to fill out their own brackets alone or with a small group of friends just for fun.
You could even make up your own custom scoring system for a pool you’re running with your friends. Different systems award different numbers of points for different stages of the tournament. This means that some systems reward players more for correction predictions in the early rounds, while some put more emphasis on the last few games.
By being more selective of the pools you participate in, you can essentially shift the determining factor toward either skill or chance.
With a seed multiplier, a correct #1 seed pick right in the first round would only be worth 1 point, while getting a #16 pick right would net you 16 points. [19] X Research source If you decide to add bonus points or multipliers, you won’t be able to take part in larger pools with fixed scoring systems.
