Pool Scoring Scheme

2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

The following scoring formula will be used to determine tournament pool points: Total Points = Standard Score + Underdog Score.

1. Standard Score - To get points for Standard Scoring a player must correctly pick a team to win a certain game. Points are then awarded based on the points that have been assigned for that round. Points for each round are as follows:

   Round	Points/round	Total possible points/round
   1st	1	32
   2nd	2	32
   3rd (Sweet Sixteen)	4	32
   4th (Elite Eight)	8	32
   5th (Final Four)	16	32
   6th (Championship)	32	32
   Total Points		192

   For example: You picked Nebraska (#6 seed) to beat Minnesota (#2 seed) in Round 4. With Standard Scoring, if Nebraska wins this game, you would be awarded the number of points that was assigned to that round, which in this case is 8 points. If Nebraska loses this game or does not make it to this game, you get zero (0) points.

2. Underdog Score - We will be using an Underdog Scoring system for bonus points in addition to Standard Scoring. To get points for Underdog Scoring, a player must correctly pick a team to win a certain game as the underdog AND that team must win the game as the underdog (regardless of who they play). Points are then awarded based on the difference in the seed numbers between the teams you actually picked (not the teams that played).

   For example: On your entry form, you picked Alabama (#15 seed) over Kentucky (#7 seed) in a 2nd round game. If Alabama wins, you would be awarded 8 points which was based on the difference in the seed numbers between the two teams (#15 seed - #7 seed). However, let's say Alabama advances to the 2nd, but Arizona (#10 seed) beats Kentucky (#7 seed) in the 1st round and thus advances to the 2nd round. Alabama (#15 seed) now plays Arizona (#10 seed) in the 2nd round. If Alabama (#15 seed) beats Arizona (#10 seed), you would still get 8 points as it is the difference between the seed numbers of the teams you originally picked to play in the 2nd round (#15 Alabama over #7 Kentucky).

3. Tie Breaker - the following tie breaking criteria will be used should there be more than one player tied for any one of the finishing places, i.e., 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places:

   1st tie breaker - Player with the most accurate prediction of the combined score of both teams in the Championship Game. (A player's total points exceeding the total points in the game is considered to have busted);
   2nd tie breaker - Player with the highest pick percentage; and
   3rd tie breaker - Most teams in the Final Four.

With this scoring formula, you'll have to think seriously about your underdog picks. So, if you're bold enough to pick a 16-seed to beat a 1-seed in the 1st round, you will receive 16 points for winning that game (1-point Standard Score + 15-point Underdog score). While you get 16 points for this game, there is no guarantee that the 16-seed will advance an additional round. That's the chance you take. Conversely, if you pick the 1-seed to beat the 16-seed in the 1st round, you will receive only 1 point (1-point Standard Score). However, the likelihood of the 1-seed advancing in the tournament is greater.