How to Run the Perfect Office Bracket Pool

Running an office bracket pool is one of the best traditions of the college basketball tournament season. It brings people together, sparks friendly competition, and gives everyone something to talk about at the water cooler for three weeks.

Here's how to run one that people will actually enjoy.

Step 1: Choose Your Platform

Gone are the days of printed brackets and manual score tracking. Use a digital platform like SuperBrackets that handles:

• Bracket creation and submission — everyone fills out their picks online
• Automatic scoring — no spreadsheet required
• Real-time leaderboard — everyone can see standings update live
• Group chat — trash talk is half the fun

SuperBrackets is free, takes 30 seconds to set up, and works on any device.

Step 2: Set the Rules Early

Before the tournament starts, establish clear rules:

Scoring system: SuperBrackets offers standard escalating scoring (10/20/40/80/160/320), but you can customize it. Make sure everyone understands how points are awarded before they fill out their brackets.

Tiebreaker: The total combined score of the championship game is the standard tiebreaker. SuperBrackets handles this automatically.

Deadline: Brackets must be submitted before the first game tips off. Late brackets should not be accepted — it creates fairness issues.

Entry: SuperBrackets is free, so there's no entry fee. If your office wants to do a fun (non-monetary) prize, that's between you and your colleagues.

Step 3: Get People to Join

The hardest part of running a pool is getting enough participants. Here's how to maximize sign-ups:

1. Send the invite link early — at least a week before the tournament
2. Use the group chat to remind people as the deadline approaches
3. Make it easy — SuperBrackets lets people join with a single link click, no app download required
4. Include remote workers — this is one of those activities that bridges the office/remote divide

Pro tip: Send a reminder 24 hours before the bracket deadline. You'll get a rush of last-minute sign-ups.

Step 4: Keep the Energy Going

A pool is only fun if people stay engaged after the first weekend. Here's how:

• Share leaderboard updates after each round
• Use the activity feed to celebrate big upsets and busted brackets
• Highlight the "boldest pick" — SuperBrackets automatically identifies each person's biggest upset pick
• Compare brackets head-to-head when matchups get interesting

Step 5: Crown the Champion

When the final buzzer sounds, celebrate the winner. A few ideas:

• The winner gets to display a small trophy at their desk until next year
• The winner picks the restaurant for the next team lunch
• Create a "Wall of Champions" — even if it's just a Slack channel

Common Questions

Is an office pool legal? SuperBrackets is a free, entertainment-only platform. No money is wagered through the app. Always check your company's policies about workplace activities.

What if someone hasn't watched a single game? That's fine! Some of the best brackets are filled out by people who pick based on mascots or uniform colors. That's part of the fun.

How many people do I need? A pool works with as few as 4 people, but 8-20 is the sweet spot for office pools. Big enough for competition, small enough that everyone knows each other.

Get Started

Ready to run your pool? Create a free bracket pool on SuperBrackets, share the invite link with your coworkers, and let the games begin.