$50 for the season
One entry covers all 18 regular-season weeks. The full amount collected is returned to eligible players through the season prize pool.
The Administrator does not enter, make picks, or receive prize money.
2026 official pool rules
Play fair.
Have fun.
Everything you need to know about making picks, winning weeks, climbing the season standings, and sharing in the prize pool.
The essentials
Rules at a glance
Entry fee$50Full regular season
Weekly winnerMostPick points
Season score weights60/40Weekly wins / pick points
Pick deadlineKickoffEach game locks separately
01
Joining the pool
Entry & prize money
24-player 2026 pool
How the $1,200 pool pays
1st place$440
2nd place$330
3rd place$220
4th place$110
5th place$50
5th-place tie reserve$50
If fifth place is not tied, its $50 reserve is added to first place, increasing the first-place payout to $490.
02
Every NFL week
Making picks & winning
Pick every game
Select one winner for every regular-season matchup. Picks may be updated until that individual game begins.
Games lock at kickoff
Each game locks separately at its scheduled kickoff. Later games remain open even after earlier games have started.
Highest pick-point total wins
The player with the highest weekly pick-point total is the weekly champion. A correct pick earns 1 point, an NFL tie earns 0.5 points for each submitted pick on that matchup, and an incorrect or missed pick earns 0 points. Weekly prize money is not paid separately.
Tied games earn half credit
If an NFL game ends in a tie, every player who submitted a selection for that matchup receives 0.5 pick points. The result is recorded separately as a tie and does not count as either a correct or incorrect pick.
Missed picks lose
Any game without a submitted selection at kickoff is automatically recorded as an incorrect pick and earns 0 pick points, including a matchup that later ends in a tie.
When weekly pick-point totals match
The Monday Night tiebreaker
Each player predicts the combined final score of the week’s designated Monday Night game. Among players tied for the highest weekly pick-point total, the prediction closest to the actual combined score wins.
1
Compare pick points
2
Measure distance from actual total
3
Closest prediction wins
03
The season championship
How overall rank is determined
Winning weeks matters most
The season score measures performance against what has actually been available through the completed weeks. Weekly victories carry 60% of the score, while total pick points carry 40%.
Season Score= 60 × (your weekly wins ÷ completed weeks) + 40 × (your pick points ÷ maximum available pick points)
How it works: Each player can earn at most one weekly win per completed week, and each completed game contributes to the pick points available for the season score. A normal game is worth 1 available pick point; an NFL tie is worth 0.5. The highest possible Season Score is 100 points, representing perfect performance through the completed weeks.
04
Technical issues with play
Requesting assistance
Assistance is available when a genuine need arises
If a site, device, or connectivity issue prevents a player from submitting or updating picks, the Site Administrator may assist with the requested change, provided the conditions below are met.
- The request must be sent by text or email before the applicable game kicks off.
- The request must clearly identify the specific pick or change being requested.
- One request may include multiple games that have not yet started.
- No pick may be added or changed after that game has begun.
- Assistance is intended for genuine site, device, access, or connectivity issues that prevent normal submission.
- The request time, entry time, player, requested change, and Administrator action will be recorded.
Fair play by design
An independent Administrator
The Sonoran Games Administrator manages the pool but does not participate as a player. The Administrator makes no picks, does not appear in rankings, cannot earn weekly victories, and is never eligible for prize money.