Frequently Asked Questions

When was Tournament Pools.com launched? - Tournament Pools started with the 2000 NCAA Men's Championship. 2009 will be our 10th year of business. We also do football and other sports at Office Football Pool.com.

Your website is blocked at my work. Is there a "back door"? - Yes, we set up a backdoor IP address for 2009 and it is http://206.81.73.225/.

What does the Tournament Pools.com website offer? - Tournament Pools provides hosting for private Pick-the-bracket, Confidence, Survivor and other pool formats. We have up to the minute standings in multiple formats, easy to use pick screens, message boards, pick confirmation emails, sitewide pick statistics, team and game matchup analysis and all the pool manager tools you need to run your pool.

How do I set up my pool? - To set up your pool go to POOLS>Start a Pool and pick the format you want to use. Follow the directions online to customize your scoring system, rules, pick deadline and other options. You can have multiple pools under the same account.

Which browsers are supported? - We do our best to be standards compliant and develop mainly for Firefox, but the site works with Internet Explorer, Netscape and Safari. We've tested on both Macs and PCs.

How do I change my username, email address and/or password? - You can change all of your personal information under HOME>My Account. Remember, usernames and email addresses have to be unique to the site.

I forgot my password, what should I do? - To retrieve your password, go to HELP>Retrieve Password. We'll send a password email to your registered email address. If your email address is no longer valid then you'll need to contact the website or your pool manager to get your email address fixed.

My email address has changed and I forgot my password. How can I retreive my password? - Write us and we'll change your email address for you. Or, your pool manager can change your email address too.

I know my username and password but I still can't log in. - If your username and password are correct and you still can't log in, it's probably because your browser is set to not accept cookies. Cookies are harmless and are necessary to use the site. Set your browser to accept cookies and you'll be able to log in. To check your browser settings, try our cookie test.

What if I want more than one account under the same email address? - For multiple accounts under the same email address, you need to use Aliases. Aliases are designed to let you create as many accounts as you want, all under the same email address and password. This feature allows you to enter more than one set of picks for yourself or it can be used to enter picks for someone else. Our site allows you to easily switch between aliases with a single click. Click here to create an Alias.

Why can't I log in? - Typically, there are 2 reasons why you can't log in. Most commonly, your username/password combination is wrong. Double check your username and password and get a password email if necessary. If it still doesn't work then you probably have cookies disabled on your browser. Your browser needs to accept cookies from us in order to use this website. To check your cookie settings, take the cookie test.

How much does it cost? - The website fee is about $1 per person for most pool formats. Sweet 16 and Square pools are less. If you are doing a custom branded pool with your own graphics the price can be higher.

I don't know how many people will be playing. Can I wait to pay until after the Tournament Starts? - Yes. We encourage you to get your pool going, and pay after you know exactly how many people will be participating.

Some people joined my pool but never entered picks, am I charged for those people? - No. You are only charged for people who enter picks.

How do I pay for my pool? - You can pay securely online at POOL ADMIN>Pool Hosting Fee using your credit card or PayPal account and you can pay by credit card over the phone.

Can I test out the website before I pay? - Absolutely. We encourage you to test out the site before you pay. You can set up your pool with no obligation to pay, so feel free to start a pool now.

How does the tiebreaker work? - For Pick-The-Bracket, Confidence and Seed 8 format pools, the website will handle the following tiebreakers. You can use both tiebreakers or neither. The key is to define exactly how your tiebreakers will work in your Text Rules (POOL ADMIN>Text Rules).

Tiebreaker Option 1. Most pool points in a given round. Whoever scores the most points in Round 1 or Round 2 or whatever round you define wins this tiebreaker.

Tiebreaker Option 2. Championship game point total. Similar to the Monday Night Football tiebreaker for office football pools, you predict the total points scored in the championship game and the person closest to the total, going over or under, wins the tiebreaker.

Do I pick all 63 games at once, or do I have to return to enter picks after each round? - If you are doing Survivor, you enter your picks round by round. Otherwise, you enter picks all at once in Pick-the-Bracket and other formats.

I heard the NCAA will be reseeding the teams for the Final 4, how will that work? - No, that's just a rumor. The teams will not be reseeded. Once the pairings are announced the brackets won't change. Your office pool is safe.

When are my picks due? - The pool manager sets the pick deadline so every pool is different. Check your POOL ADMIN>Setup page to find the deadline for your pool. Also, keep in mind that the website is likely to be slow right before the first tipoff on Thursday, so please don't wait until the last minute to enter your picks.

Can I change my picks once they're submitted? - Yes, you can change your picks up until the pick deadline.

What happens with the Play-In-Game on Tuesday? - We don't include the play in game on the picksheet. People are already pressed for time to get their picks in by Thursday so we think it's best to not include the play in game. The play in winner will advance to be the #16 seed in the bracket of 64 and since the winner will not be determined until Tuesday, the pick sheet will show the team name "#16 Seed" as a placeholder until after the "play-in-game" is completed. This will not keep you from entering picks.

When will the teams be filled in on the Pick Sheet? - The teams will be filled in immediately after they are announced on Selection Sunday, 4 days before the Tournament starts.

How do I make Multiple Entries into the same pool? - After you submit your first set of picks you will be asked if you want to do additional entries. Click "Yes" and you will be guided through the process of setting up and entering picks as an alias. You can enter as many sets of picks as you want.

How do I set up my pool? - To set up your pool go to POOLS>Start a Pool and pick the format you want to use. Follow the directions to customize your scoring system, rules, pick deadline and other options.

How do people join my pool? - Give your friends the specially coded link you get when you start your pool. When they click this link they will be guided through the process of joining your pool, including registering on the website if necessary.

Who pays the pool hosting fee, when and how? - The fee is paid by the pool manager after everyone has entered picks and you know how many people are participating. To pay, go to Pool Admin>Pool Hosting Fee and use your credit card on our secure payment page. You can also pay by telephone.