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Round By Round

Return each round and make picks.

Return after each round and make picks for the teams that are still in.

Come back after each round of the tournament and make picks for the teams that are still in.

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General Help Login Help
 
General Help
 
1. How does the game work?
2. When is the deadline to enter my picks?
3. What if I don't pick a winner for a game?
4. Are there prizes?
5. If the tournament has already started can I still play?
6. How does the scoring work?
7. How are ties broken?
8. Why doesn't my password work?
9. How often are scores updated?
10. Where can I find the official rules for this contest?
11. How do Groups work?
12. How do I join a Group?
13. How do I create a Group?
14. How do I manage a Group?
15. To whom do I direct scoring disputes and other questions not answered on this page?
16. Are the three play-in games included in the contest?
17. How can I unlink my facebook account from this contest?

How does the game work?
You can pick who you think is going to win each game of the tournament. So, instead of predicting the entire tournament before it happens you get to pick the winner of each game as it goes along.

When is the deadline to enter my picks?
Once both teams for a game are known you can pick the winner until 15 minutes before the game is scheduled to start.

What if I don't pick a winner for a game?
If you don't pick the computer will pick the most picked team for you.

Are there prizes?
Yes! You could win $1,000,000 if you pick all of the games correctly. You could win $10,000 if you only miss one or two games. And, you could win $1,000 if you only miss three games. For more details (including how ties are broken) see our rules page. Additionally, the national grand prize for the player with the highest score is a 16GB iPad Mini sponsored by Upickem and a NCAA™ Fathead sponsored by Fathead.com. See all prizes.

If the tournament has already started can I still play?
Yes, you can sign up to play at any point in the tournament.

How does the scoring work?
Each round of the tournament is worth 64 points. There are 6 rounds in the tournament that total up to 384 points. First round games are 2 points each. Second round games are 4 points each. Third round games are 8 points each. Fourth round games are 16 points each. Fifth round games are 32 points each. And the final championship game is worth 64 points.

How are ties broken?
For rounds 1 through 6:
Fans pick who they think is going to win along with the score for a designated tie-breaker game. The computer then takes all the fans who are tied for that round and applies the following "Score Approximation Formula":
1. Subtract what the fan chose as the score for the winning team from the actual winning team's score and squares this value.
2. Subtract what the fan chose as the score for the losing team from the actual losing team's score and squares this value.
3. Add 1 and 2 above together to get the fan's "score approximation".
If there is still a tie after determining the "score approximation" then the computer chooses a random winner from those who are tied.

For the overall winner:
If there are ties for overall score the computer takes those fans that picked the championship game correctly and applies the score approximation formula outlined above. If there are still ties the computer looks at who had:
1. The most points earned in the Fifth Round.
2. The most points earned in the Fourth Round.
3. The most points earned in the Third Round.
4. The most points earned in the Second Round.
5. The most points earned in the First Round.
6. If there is still a tie the computer picks a random winner from the tied players.

Why doesn't my password work?
If you're having trouble logging in try our login help page.

How often are scores updated?
Immediately after each game.

Where can I find the official rules for this contest?
Official Rules.

How do Groups work?
Groups are a way for you to play along with a group of co-workers, friends, family, etc. Once you are logged in, go to the "My Groups" tab. Here you can join public/private groups and create/manage one as well.

How do I join a Group?
- To join a Private Group, you must be invited by a friend. If they do you'll receive an email with the instructions on how to join.
- To join a Public Group, go to "Join a Public Group" and pick from the available groups.

How do I create a Group?
- To create a Private Group, click on "Create a Private Group". You'll be asked to enter a group name, a password, and to confirm your password. The next page allows you to enter the email addresses for friends, co-workers, family, etc. that you'd like to play along with you. An email will be sent out to the invitees with instructions on how to join your group.
- To create a Public Group, click on "Create a Public Group", you'll be asked to enter a group name and group description. The next page allows you to enter the email addresses for friends, co-workers, family, etc. that you'd like to play along with you.

How do I manage a Group?
Assuming you are logged in and you've already created a Group, go to your "Groups" tab, and enter the desired group under "Groups I Manage". This will take you to the homepage that shows the scores for everyone in your group along with "Trash Talk". Trash Talk is a message board where you can post messages that only members in your group can see. Along the top of the page are links to "Email the Group", "Change Password" (for Private Groups), "Invite Members", and "Remove Members". In order, these links allow you to send a quick email to everyone in your group, change your group password (for Private Groups), invite new people to join your group, and to remove members from your group (or to add them back).

To whom do I direct scoring disputes and other questions not answered on this page?
You can send a comment on our feedback page.

Are the three play-in games included in the contest?
No, they are not. The contest only includes the 63 games displayed in the bracket.

How can I unlink my facebook account from this contest?
There is a link at the bottom of the My Profile page that will allow you to accomplish this task.

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