Creating a Pool
You may create a pool anytime before the Pick Cutoff time (see below). To create a pool, choose the Start A Pool link on the netBrackets Home page and follow the simple directions. You will be asked to specify a pool name, password, point values per round and a scoring option (Standard, Add Seed, Multiply Seed). After your pool is created, you will be given a pre-written e-mail to send to friends and family, inviting them to join your pool.

Making Picks
Picks may only be made or changed after the tournament teams are announced and before the Pick Cutoff Time (see below). To make picks select the "Join a Pool" link on the netBrackets Home page. This will take you to the Pool Login page where you can sign into a pool by entering the pool name and password.

Once signed into a pool, follow these steps to create your user account and entry and make your picks:

1. On the Create User page, enter the requested information for a new user and select Done. You will be taken to the Picks page. 

2. On the Picks page, make picks for ALL games in ALL regions for all rounds according to the directions.  After you have made all of your picks, select the Submit Picks button to submit your picks.

3. After submitting your picks, you will be able to re-login in if you want to change your picks or create more entries, up until the Pick Cutoff Time (see below). Just select the Pool Login link from the netBrackets home page.

IMPORTANT: YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR PICKS WITH THE SUBMIT BUTTON FOR YOUR ENTRY OR CHANGES TO BE ACCEPTED.

Tracking A Pool 
After the Pick Cutoff Time (see below), the Pool Status link on the netBrackets Home page will take you to the Pool Login page where you can specify which pool's status you would like to see. On the Pool Status page you will be able to see or access the following:

   - Other Users' picks
   - Current standings
   - Each entrant's total points
   - Each entrant's point potential
   - Info on each game indicating who took which teams
   - A list of all pool entrants' real names and e-mail addresses
   - A Printable Picks page, for printing picks onto a single sheet of paper
   - Your User Account

All of the above information is updated automatically as the games are played. 
Also, after the second round you will be able to see you chances of winning, any "Must Have" games, and you'll be able to enter "Winning Scenarios" mode. In "Winning Scenarios" mode you will be able to find out who can still come in first, second or third, and what needs to happen for each. Just look for the "Winning Scenarios" button. And finally, note that the "DEFAULT" and "ACTUALS" are not real entrants in the pool. Selecting the ACTUALS picks on the Pool Status page shows the actual results of the games. The DEFAULT entry shows the status for an entry in which all higher seeds are picked.

Pick Cutoff Time:  Please note that you will only be able to make or change your picks until the Pick Cutoff time which is the tipoff of the first "non-play-in" game of the tournament. After this time, you will only be able to go to the Pool Status page (see above).

Standard Scoring:  The games in each round are worth a certain number of points set by the pool creator.  To calculate a person's score, netBrackets awards the appropriate number of points for each correct pick.  For example, say the first two rounds of the tournament have been played and that first round picks are worth 2 points each and second round picks are worth 4 points each.  If a person got 26 picks correct in the first round and 10 picks correct in the second round, they would have a total of 26 X 2 + 10 X 4 or 92 points. Points are re-calculated after each game so they are always up to date.

Add Seed Scoring:  Add Seed scoring is done the same as Standard, except for each correct pick the winning team's seed is also added to your score. For example, say the first round games are worth 5 points each and that you took a number 3 seed and a number 12 seed in two of the first round games, and those teams won. Your points for those two games would be 5 + 3 + 5 + 12, or 25 points. Points are re-calculated after each game so they are always up to date.

Multiply Seed Scoring:  The games in each round are worth a certain number of points set by the pool creator, times the seed of the team you picked. To calculate a person's score, netBrackets awards the appropriate number of points for each correct pick. For example, say the first round games are worth 5 points each and that you took a number 3 seed and a number 12 seed in two of the first round games, and those teams won. Your points for those two games would be 5 * 3 + 5 * 12, or 75 points. Points are re-calculated after each game so they are always up to date.

Underdog Bonus:  In addition to the above scoring, if your pool includes Underdog Bonus scoring, for any games where you have chosen the lower seed and your team wins, you will receive bonus points equal to the difference in the seeds of the teams that played the game.

The BYU Rule: If you recall, a few years ago the selection committee goofed and had BYU playing on a Sunday if they won their first round game. The remedy they came up with was, if BYU won their first game, they would trade places with another team in another bracket that had a Saturday date. Should the committee do such switching again, the teams would not be switched in the pool, and the results for each of the switched teams would count for the team they switched with from the point of the switch on.