# NFL Playoff Survivor Pool — Rules, Scoring & Hosting

> How NFL Playoff Survivor pools work: pick one NFL team per round from Wild Card weekend to the Super Bowl, with optional ATS picks on PikSheet's posted lines.

Source: https://piksheet.com/pools/nfl_playoff_survivor
Last updated: 2026-10-29

**NFL Playoff Survivor:** 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.

Sport: [NFL](https://piksheet.com/nfl)

## How it works

1. Pick one team to win in each NFL playoff round, from Wild Card weekend through the Super Bowl.
2. A 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.
3. Teams 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.
4. The 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.
5. Members 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.

## A two-round example

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

- Save 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.
- Check each new round's lines before choosing. A wrong pick, a missed pick or an against-the-spread push adds a strike.
- The 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

## Frequently asked questions

### 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.

## Related

- [NFL Playoff Survivor walkthrough](https://piksheet.com/help/pool-types/nfl_playoff_survivor)
- [Compare every pool format](https://piksheet.com/pools/compare)
- [Pricing](https://piksheet.com/pricing)

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