College Basketball (March Mania) Pool FAQs

After placing order for a pool the confirmation code didn't arrive
There was probably a typo in the email address when you placed the order. Please contact us or place a new order if you don't mind picking a new name for the pool.

How much do the websites cost?
Our fee is based on the number of participants (brackets) in your pool. There is no cost or obligation to order and setup a pool but there is a charge if you decide to use the pool beyond the first full day of tournament games. See the pricing page for cost details. Your pool stays online until the start of next year's tournament.

Why pay for a pool website when I can run one for free at ESPN/CBS/Yahoo?
The commissioners who run their pools with us are looking to make their pool stand out from the rest. They take their pool seriously and want a premium and customizable experience. Also, there is no such thing as a free pool. At those sites listed above, your payment comes in the form of advertisements and in the collection of user information from your pool participants. SportsFan.com pools do not have advertisements and we do not collect information from the people in your pool. The players in your pool are signing up for your pool only, not for SportsFan.com. We do not even have user accounts.

Do the people in my pool have to signup or join SportsFan.com in order to play?
Absolutely not. This is one of the many benefits to running your pool online with us. SportsFan.com does not have user accounts. Your players will be signing up for your pool only. We do not collect your player's personal information or use it in any way.

I see the term "Brackets" used in regards to the website cost. What is meant by "brackets"?
"Brackets" are entries in the pool. If your pool has 100 participants and each participant submits one entry, then your pool will have 100 "brackets". If your pool has 100 participants and each participant submits two entries, then your pool will have 200 "brackets". The cost of your pool will be based on the total number of brackets entered in the pool.

When will my website be available after I place an order?
Pools are typically setup on the server and ready for you to use within 5-7 minutes after placing your order. Please allow up to 15 minutes during peak ordering time around Selection Sunday.

How do I renew from website from last year?
To renew your website from last year, login to your website and follow the instructions at the top. You do not need to do anything here at www.SportsFan.com.

What will be the URL for my pool website?
Your pool will be located at http://your-name.hoops.sportsfan.com where you get to pick your-name. If you will be using your own domain for your pool then the URL for your pool will be determined by your website URL.

Can I run the pool on my own website?
The pool website must remain on the sportsfan.com server because we do not sell or release the software used to run it. However, using frames you can achieve the desired effect of using your website address for your pool. See this page on using frames to view your pool using your personal domain name. Your players will believe your pool is being run at your domain.

Can I choose a different URL for my pool that I am renewing?
Pool websites that are renewed must continue to use the same site name in order to have access to their archived standings and member list. If you want to change names, the only option will be to order a new pool website instead of renewing the old one. All pool websites will be located at http://your-name.hoops.sportsfan.com.

What scoring systems are supported?
There is a variety of supported scoring options. Contact us if you want to check whether or not your scoring system is supported.

• Summary of the scoring options:
• You can set straight numerical points to be awarded for each and any round.
• You can set points to be awarded based on the winning team seed for each and any round.
• You can set points to be awarded for each and any round depending on the seed of the winning or losing team, whether or not the game was an upset, the seed difference, and the round number. These are called condition-based scoring options.
• You can combine the above points if you want for each and any round.
• Special bonus points options include "bonus teams", picking all 4 #8/#9 or #7/#10 games, picking all 8 games in a region's first round, picking 3 final four teams, and picking all final four teams.

Are the "First Four" (play-in) games included in the pool?
The four play-in games that take place before the first full day of games can be included in the pool only as "bonus points" and as a tie-breaker option. The play-in games are not included as part of the regular bracket submission. Instead, both play-in teams will be listed on the bracket as a team to be picked (for example, "UCLA/Michigan"). Once the game is over the bracket space will automatically change to the name of the winning team. Players who picked "UCLA/Michigan" to advance on their bracket will see their picks automatically update to the winning team's name.

How frequently are the standings updated?
Pool standings are updated after each game. It typically takes a few minutes for the calculation to be performed. At peak traffic times, please allow up to 15 minutes for the calculation to be completed.

How does the commissioner run the pool if there is no software to download?
The commissioner of the pool has access to the pool's administrative menu which contains all of the settings used to run the pool and control the pool website. The commissioner does not have to import entries or the tournament bracket since this is done automatically by the website. The commissioner does not have to import tournament results or update the standings and reports as this is done automatically by the website.

My pool is going to be very large. Can I receive a reduced rate for additional entries?
If your pool will have more than 2000 entries, contact us before you place your order for more information.

Can the commmissioner enter picks for someone else?
The pool commissioner can add other people to the pool and add, edit or delete brackets even after the deadline has passed.

Can I collect an entry fee through the website?
Monetary transactions cannot be processed directly by the website although it is possible to add payment buttons from 3rd-party sources that you obtain on your own. In addition, the pools have financial features such as "entry fee", "prize calculation" and "Finances" Report. These features must only be used only where lawfully permitted.

Can I set a password to gain entry to the website?
The commissioner can set an "invitation code" that will be required to join the pool.

Can the same website be used to run a Sweet 16 Pool?
Pool websites can run 64-team bracket pools, Sweet 16 pools, or both. If a website is running both, then each pool will have its own scoring system, standings and reports. A player does not have to be in both pools.

Is there a mobile version of the website?
The pool is intended to be visited using a fully functional non-mobile browser. Smartphones may be able to view the pool website but not all smartphone platforms and browsers are supported. The mobile version of the website is intended to be used by old mobile phones and function is limited to viewing an abridged version of the standings and submission of brackets.

What about iPad/iPhone/Android?
The pool website can be used using these devices' built-in web browsers. The only exception is the WYSIWYG commissioner editing tool which does not work on mobile Safari. We do not have an app although providing one is a priority for next year.

How long does the website remain online?
Websites remain online until the start of next year's tournament.

NFL Survivor Pool FAQs

What is an "NFL survivor" pool?
In typical NFL Survivor pools (also called "Suicide", "Eliminator", or "Last Man Standing" pools, people in the pool pick a single NFL team each week and are knocked out of the pool if their pick loses. It is as simple as that. The winner is the last person to survive after everyone else has been eliminated. For most survivor pools, participants can only pick each NFL team once per season (making it more difficult to make picks as the season goes on).

What rules can be determined by the commissioner?
For a complete review of available options, visit the demo website and select "Pool Rules" from the "Admin" menu. Here is a list of some of the options...

• "Winners" pool or a "Losers" pool (are the players trying to pick a team to win or to lose)
• Are picks based on the pointspread or just "straight up" (can vary by week)
• the number of teams (1 or 2) to be picked per week
• the number of "strikes" before an entry is eliminated
• the maximum number of entries allowed per person
• the starting week and ending week for the pool
• the weekly pick deadline
• # of times a team can be picked during the season
• # of times a team can be picked against during the season
• whether to allow "buybacks" so a player who is eliminated can "buy back" into the pool
• # of buybacks allowed during the season
• whether or not buybacks are available after a certain week
• allow one team to be picked an extra time during the season (wildcard option)
• whether or not "insurance" can be purchased to protect against the first bad pick
• set what happens if someone forgets to make a pick (are they eliminated? is a pick assigned?)
• determine the order in which teams are assigned if someone forgets to make a pick
• run a "points" pool so the winner is the person with the most points, not the last survivor
• more...

How much does the website cost?
See the pricing page for the website cost and details. There is no cost to setup and use the website for the first week. The commissioner pays the fee to sportsfan.com. We do not collect from the people who paricipate in the pool.

How do I pay for the pool website?
Payment is made directly from your pool website. There is a link to your billing invoice in the "Admin" menu.

How do I renew from website from last year?
To renew your website from last year, login to your website and follow the instructions at the top.

What will be my pool website URL (address)?
Your pool will be located at http://name.survivor.sporsfan.com where you get to specify name. If you will be using your own domain for your pool then the URL for your pool will be determined by your website URL.

Can I run the pool on my own website?
The pool website must remain on the sportsfan.com server because we do not sell or release the software used to run it. However, using HTML cole (provided by us) you can achieve the desired effect of using your website address for your pool. See the integration example to see how your pool website can be made to appear thru your own personal domain name. Your players will believe your pool is being run at your domain.

What is a "Survivor Points Pool"?
In a points pool, the object of the game is to score the most points during the season. Each team is assigned a point value (e.g., typically the worst teams get higer values) and if your pick wins their game you will score the number of points assigned to that team. The other survival rules remain in effect-- after you make a certain number of wrong picks you are done making picks for the year. At the end of the season whoever has the most points is the winner. The winner is not necessarily the last survivor. This type of pool requires more strategy than a regular survivor pool.

Will the general public be able to see my website?
There is no public listing of private survivor pool websites, so people would have to know the URL of your website in order to see it. Only people in your pool will be able to log in to your website. You can specify whether guests are allowed to view your site.

How long will it take for the website to be setup on the server after I place the order?
Websites are setup automatically once your order is placed and are generally ready for you to sign in and get started in less than 15 minutes. You will be notified on the order page if the setup time will be longer than 15 minutes.

What happens if there is a winner after only a few weeks?
The website will let you run up 2 consecutive pools in case the first ones end earlier than expected. If you need to run two or more simultaneous pools, each pool will require its own website. You will be able to link them together by adding custom links in the menu.

Can I customize the website title? Color?
The website title, logo and color scheme can be customized by the commissioner. There are many other customizable areas of the website if you want to add banner images or your own HTML.

Does the pool have to start week 1? Can it go into the playoffs?
The commissioner determines when the pool starts and ends. Usually, the pool will begin with week #1 or #2 of the regular season and ends with the regular season. If there is more than one survivor at the end of the regular season, most pools split the prize amongst the surviving entries. However, the pool commissioner can opt to extend the pool into the playoffs.

How long will the website be available?
The website will be online until the start of next year's NFL Survivor season.

Will the pool data from this year be available for next year? Is my pool data from last year available?
The "Standings" screen and member information from past years is available as an archive.

Can I protect the website with a password?
You can limit participation to people that you invite to join by providing a signup code needed before someone can log in.

How does the website get updated with game results
This is done automatically as games are played. The commissioner does not have to do anything as the website does it all by itself.

What happens if someone in the pool forgets to make a pick during the week?
Depending on how you set up the pool, the player will either be knocked out of the pool (eliminated) or a "default" pick will be assigned to them based on the default order you specify. The pool commissioner can make picks for anyone in the pool even after the deadline has passed.

What happens if someone in my pool doesn't have internet access?
As commissioner, you can create and manage picks for anyone else. If someone doesn't have internet access, they would have to communicate their pick to you and then you put the pick into the website. As commissioner, you can make or change picks at any time (even past the deadline).

Can one person enter my pool more than once?
Yes. The commissioner can specify the maximum number of entries to allow per person or can allow for unlimited entries.

Can the commissioner make picks for other people?
Yes.

Can the commissioner change picks after the deadline?
Yes. The commissioner can change picks from previous and current weeks. The commissioner can also set picks for upcoming weeks.

Can the deadline for picks be customized?
The deadline for making picks can be set by the commissioner.

Do the game times and deadlines have to be listed in ET (Eastern Time)?
Everyone in your pool will be able to set their own time zone preferences.

Is the website information backed up?
Every website is backed up off-site no less than every 4 hours. There is also a pick log to track every pick change made to entries.

Is there a player limit?
We offer pools with up to 1000 entries. If you anticipate more than 1000 entries, please contact us.

Can I collect an entry fee through the pool website?
The website can not be used to process monetary transactions. You must arrange for collection of any entry fee used for your pool. There is a "Finances" screen on the website which helps keep track of finances. Use of the website indicates consent to the user agreement and legal policies. The website offers the use of "single-use" signup and entry tokens which can be used as a way of pre-approving people from signing up for the website or from adding entries. This can be used to require payment before someone can sign up or add an entry. You can also third-party payment buttons to your website (you are responsible for obtaining the payment buttons and assuring lawful compliance).

College Football Bowl Pool FAQs

What is a "College Football Bowl Pool"?
A football bowl pool is a "PickEm" type pool where the contestants will be picking the 35 games that make up the 2011-2012 college football bowl schedule. The bowl season begins with the New Mexico Bowl on 12/17/11 and ends with the BCS National Championship Game on 1/09/12. Due to this schedule, a college football bowl pool is a great way to bring additional cheer to your friends/family/co-workers over the Holidays and New Year's season. If you have a business website, a college bowl pick'em is a great way to attract visitors to your website during this crucial shopping period.

What rules can be determined by the commissioner?
For a complete review of available options, visit the demo website and review the options from the "Admin" menu. Here is a list of some of the options...

• Pick the winners or against the spread
• Confidence points used to determine winner
• Several other point scoring options to determine winner
• Use all 35 bowl games on the picksheet or just some
• Use the total score of the BCS Championship as tie-breaker
• The pick deadline for each game can be set individually
• Many more options...

How much does the website cost?
See the pricing page for the website cost and details. There is no cost to setup and use the website until 12/25/11. The commissioner pays the fee to sportsfan.com. We do not collect from the people who paricipate in the pool.

I see the term "Picksheets" used in regards to the website cost. What is meant by "picksheets"?
"Picksheets" are entries in the pool. If your pool has 100 participants and each participant submits one entry, then your pool will have 100 "picksheets". If your pool has 100 participants and each participant submits two entries, then your pool will have 200 "picksheets". The cost of your pool will be based on the total number of picksheets entered in the pool.

What will be my pool website URL (address)?
Your pool will be located at http://name.bowl.sporsfan.com where you get to specify name. If you have your own website, you can have the pool website appear seamlessly through your own domain how this works

What browsers are compatible with the pool website?
The website essential functions have been successfully tested on all major modern browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari and Chrome.

Will the general public be able to see my website?
There is no public listing of private bowl pool websites, so people would have to know the URL of your website in order to see it. Only people in your pool will be able to log in to your website. You can specify whether guests are allowed to view your site. Some pages, such as the member list and finances report can only be accessed to logged in players.

How long will it take for the website to be setup on the server after I place the order?
Websites are usually setup and available in less than 15 minutes after the order is completed. You will be notified on the order page if the setup time will be longer than 15 minutes.

Can I customize the website title? Color? Images?
The website title, logo and color scheme can be customized by the commissioner. Review the "Admin > Website Style" menu at the demo to see all of the options.

How long will the website be available?
The website will be online until the start of next year's College Football bowl season.

Will the pool data from this year be available for next year?
The "Standings" and Member List reports will be available in subsequent years.

Can I protect the website with a password?
You can limit participation to people that you invite to join by providing a sign up code needed before someone can log in.

How does the website get updated with bowl game results
This is done automatically as games are played. The commissioner does not have to do anything as the website does it all by itself.

What happens if someone in my pool doesn't have internet access?
As commissioner, you can create and manage picks for anyone else. If someone doesn't have internet access, they would have to communicate their pick to you and then you put the pick into the website. As commissioner, you can make or change picks at any time (even past the deadline).

Can one person enter my pool more than once?
Yes. The commissioner can specify the maximum number of entries to allow per person or can allow for unlimited entries.

Can the commissioner make picks for other people?
Yes.

Can the commissioner change picks after the deadline?
Yes.

Can the deadline for picks be customized?
The deadline for making picks can be set by the commissioner based on a date or based on the gametime for each game.

Do the game times and deadlines have to be listed in ET (Eastern Time)?
Everyone in your pool will be able to set their own time zone preferences.

Is there a player limit?
New pools by default are limited to 500 entries but the limit can be increased up to 10000 with advanced notice. If you anticipate more than 500 entries, please contact us and we will increase your limit.

Can I collect an entry fee through the pool website?
The website can not be used to process monetary transactions. You must arrange for collection of any entry fee used for your pool. There is a "Finances" screen on the website which helps keep track of finances. Use of the website indicates consent to the user agreement and legal policies. The website offers the use of "single-use" signup and entry tokens which can be used as a way of pre-approving people from signing up for the website or from adding entries. This can be used to require payment before someone can sign up or add an entry.