One team a round. Lose and you're out.
Pick one NFL team each playoff round. A wrong pick or a missed pick adds a strike; an against-the-spread push adds a strike when ATS is on. PikSheet handles the rules, pick submission, lock timing, field reveal, standings, and commissioner controls from one place.
Updated
How it works
The format stays familiar to your league; PikSheet keeps the round mechanics clear and consistent.
- 1Pick one team to win in each NFL playoff round, from Wild Card weekend through the Super Bowl.
- 2A wrong pick, a missed pick or an against-the-spread push adds a strike. One strike is the default; the commissioner can set one to five and can have members pick winners or losers.
- 3Teams cannot be reused by default. The commissioner can allow any team to be picked again in a later round, and can require two picks in earlier rounds; the Super Bowl stays at one pick.
- 4The commissioner can enable ATS picks using the lines PikSheet posts before each round. Each pick locks when its game starts, and other members cannot see it before then.
- 5Members can join until the Wild Card round ends. A missed pick in any round, including Wild Card, adds a strike; late joiners can still pick any game that has not started. There is no tiebreaker: survivors at the end share the win, and entries eliminated together in one round share it too. The pool ends early when at most one entry remains after a completed round; the commissioner can revive everyone eliminated in the latest round before the Super Bowl is complete.
Member flow
Pick a team each round as the matchups open, from Wild Card weekend through the Super Bowl. Each pick locks at its game's kickoff.
Field reveal
After lock, the pool can see who picked what without chasing text threads or screenshots.
Scoring
Game results update the leaderboard according to this format's rules and history.
A two-round example
A quick scoring example for this format.
- 1.Pick one team on Wild Card weekend and a different team in the Divisional round.
- 2.A wrong pick, a missed pick or an against-the-spread push adds one strike.
- 3.With the default one-strike limit, the first strike eliminates the entry.
How to win an NFL Playoff Survivor pool
Strategy that separates the pool winners from the pack.
- 1Save teams you may need in later rounds. With reuse off by default, a team used on Wild Card weekend cannot be picked again in the Divisional round or later.
- 2Check each new round's lines before choosing. A wrong pick, a missed pick or an against-the-spread push adds a strike.
- 3The commissioner can require two picks in an earlier round. Make both before their games start; each pick locks on its own kickoff.
What the commissioner controls
Pool settings and Survivor rules stay editable until the first game starts; team reuse and picks per round lock as soon as anyone saves a pick.
- Pick winners (default) or losers
- Strikes to eliminate: 1–5 (default 1)
- No team reuse (default) or allow reuse
- Straight up (default) or ATS with lines PikSheet posts before each round
- One pick per round by default; up to two in Wild Card, Divisional and Conference Championship rounds, never the Super Bowl
- Individual game locks; no tiebreaker
NFL Playoff Survivor pool FAQ
How many strikes can an NFL Playoff Survivor pool allow?+
One strike is the default. The commissioner can set one to five. A wrong pick, a missed pick or an against-the-spread push adds a strike.
Can I reuse an NFL team in another playoff round?+
No, not by default. The commissioner can allow reuse, so any team can be picked again in a later round.
Can the commissioner require two picks in a playoff round?+
Yes, in earlier rounds. The Super Bowl is one game and always has one pick.
Does NFL Playoff Survivor use the spread?+
It can. The commissioner can choose straight up or ATS using the lines PikSheet posts before each round. An ATS push is a strike.
What happens if no one survives a round?+
Entries eliminated in the same round share the win. There are no tiebreakers. If one or zero entries remain after a completed round, the pool ends early.
Ready to run an NFL Playoff Survivor pool?
Takes about five minutes.