How football squares work
A squares pool is a 10×10 grid — 100 squares — where each column and row gets a random digit from 0 to 9 after all squares are claimed. Each square's owner wins if the last digit of each team's score matches their column and row digits at the end of a quarter. Example: if the score at halftime is 17–14, the square at column 7, row 4 wins the halftime payout.
Why numbers are drawn after squares are assigned
Some digits (0, 3, 7) are far more valuable than others (2, 5, 9) because of how football scoring works. Drawing the numbers randomly after everyone has picked their squares keeps the pool fair — nobody can buy the good numbers. This generator always assigns names first, then draws digits.
Common payout structures
The most common split is 15% / 25% / 15% / 45% across the four quarters, weighting the final score heaviest. Some pools pay equal 25% per quarter, and some add a "reverse" payout (score digits swapped). Whatever you choose, publish the split before selling squares — it's the #1 source of pool arguments.
A friendly note: this is a free organizational tool. Whether and how your group plays for money is up to you and your local rules — we just do the math.