The Complete Guide to Football Squares

What Are Football Squares?

Football squares (also called Super Bowl squares, football pools, or grid pools) is one of the most popular social betting games in America. It's a simple, luck-based game that gives everyone—from die-hard fans to people who don't know a touchdown from a touchback—an equal chance to win money while watching football.

The beauty of football squares is its simplicity: no sports knowledge required, no complex odds to calculate, and no skill advantage. Your grandma has the same chance of winning as your friend who watches RedZone for 12 hours every Sunday.

How the Game Works

The Grid

The game revolves around a 10x10 grid creating 100 individual squares. One NFL team is assigned to the rows (horizontal) and the other team to the columns (vertical). For example, in a Chiefs vs Eagles game:

• Chiefs scores run along the top (columns)
• Eagles scores run along the left side (rows)

Claiming Squares

Players purchase one or more squares on the grid. At this point, the squares are just empty boxes—no numbers are assigned yet. This is crucial: you're buying a random chance, not picking specific numbers.

On SatSquares, you'll:

1. Click on any available square
2. Enter your Lightning address or Bitcoin address
3. Pay with Bitcoin or Lightning
4. Once payment confirms, the square is yours

Number Assignment

This is the key part: After all 100 squares are sold, numbers 0-9 are randomly assigned to each row and column. This randomization is what makes the game fair—nobody knows which numbers they're getting when they buy their square. SatSquares uses Bitcoin block hashes for provably fair randomization.

If you bought the square at row 3, column 7, and after randomization:

• Row 3 gets assigned the number "7"
• Column 7 gets assigned the number "3"
• Your square is now: Eagles 7, Chiefs 3

Determining Winners

Winners are determined by the last digit of each team's score at the end of the game.

If the final score is Chiefs 31, Eagles 20:

• Last digits: Chiefs = 1, Eagles = 0
• Winner: The square at intersection of 1 and 0

Payout Structure

SatSquares uses a winner-take-all format:

• One winner based on the final score
• Winner receives the entire pot (minus any house fee)
• Simple, clean, maximum excitement

This means the game stays interesting throughout—any score change could change the winner, and comeback victories make for dramatic finishes.

The Numbers Game: Which Squares Are Best?

Not all numbers are created equal in football. Due to how scoring works (touchdowns = 6 points, extra points = 1, field goals = 3, safeties = 2), certain number combinations appear more frequently:

Why these numbers?

• 7: One touchdown + extra point
• 0: Common in scores like 10, 20, 30
• 3: Field goal, or scores ending in 13, 23
• 4: Scores like 14, 24, 34

Strategy (Or Lack Thereof)

Here's the beautiful truth: there is no strategy once numbers are assigned randomly. You cannot pick your numbers, so you cannot gain an advantage. This is what makes football squares so democratic and fun.

The only "strategy" considerations:

• Buy more squares - Increases your chances proportionally
• Buy early - Better selection of square positions (though position doesn't matter once randomized)
• Check the randomization method - SatSquares uses transparent, verifiable randomization

Common Variations

College Football Squares

• Higher scoring, more variety in final digits
• Numbers like 1, 4, 8 become more valuable

Score Change Squares

• Every time the score changes, there's a small payout
• Keeps everyone engaged throughout

Quarterly Payouts

• Payouts at the end of each quarter
• More winners, but smaller individual prizes

Note: SatSquares currently uses winner-take-all based on final score

Tips for Playing on SatSquares

1. Have your Lightning wallet ready - Fastest way to claim squares
2. Buy multiple squares - Increase your odds of hitting good numbers
3. Watch for the randomization - Numbers are assigned after all squares are sold
4. Save your Lightning address - You'll need it to claim winnings
5. Check back after the game - Winner will be highlighted on the grid

The Perfect Game

The perfect football squares game:

• Fills all 100 squares
• Uses verifiable random number assignment
• Pays out quickly after the game
• Has transparent, published rules
• Gives everyone an equal chance

Whether you're a Bitcoin maximalist, a degenerate gambler, or just someone who likes football, SatSquares brings the classic game of football squares into the Lightning age. No emails, no KYC, no bank transfers—just pick your square, send sats, and may the football gods smile upon your numbers.

And sometimes, just sometimes, the person who "doesn't even watch football" walks away with the entire pot—and that's exactly what makes football squares beautiful.