How football squares work
Football squares is a fun game played on a 10 × 10 grid during a football game. People claim squares, numbers get drawn for each side, and the score at the end of each quarter decides which square wins. It takes no football knowledge, because the numbers are random and nobody knows them when they pick.
The grid
The grid has 100 squares. One team goes across the top and the other goes down the side. Each row and column gets one number from 0 to 9, so every square stands for one pair of digits, like 7 and 3.
How to play
- Pick squares. Everyone claims the squares they want until the grid is full.
- Lock the grid. The organizer closes it, so nobody can change a square once it matters.
- Draw the numbers. The digits 0 to 9 are placed at random across the top and down the side, after every square is taken.
- Check the score each quarter. The winning square is where the last digit of each team's score meets.
How to find the winning square
Only the last digit of each score counts. If the team across the top has 17 and the team down the side has 13 at the end of the first quarter, look for the square where column 7 meets row 3.
The score is read at the end of each quarter, so one grid has four results, and the same square can win more than once. Which scores count, and what happens with overtime, are up to the organizer, so agree on that before the game.
Which numbers are best?
Some last digits come up more often, because of how touchdowns and field goals add up: 0, 3 and 7 are familiar ones, and 2 and 5 less so. But the numbers are drawn only after every square is taken, so nobody can choose them, and every square has the same chance when you pick it.
Running a grid online
On paper, someone has to chase names, redraw the numbers on a poster and send photos of it to everyone. With Fill the Squares, you share one link and everyone picks from their phone. There are no prices or payments, and you can upload a list of names to place them at random. The numbers are drawn at random with one tap, and the winning square lights up for everyone with the link.
Your first grid is free. Every other grid is a one-time $1, or you can save with a package of 10 grids for $8 or 20 grids for $15.
Is it legal?
Laws on pools and betting vary by state and town. We can't give legal advice, so if your group is thinking of playing for money, check the rules where you are, and don't use this site for it.
Fill the Squares is for playing just for fun, not for money or prizes. We aren't part of any pool. We never collect, hold or pay out pool money, and we aren't affiliated with anyone who collects or receives it. Fill the Squares isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any league, team or broadcaster.