March Madness squares
Your bracket covers the tournament. Squares makes every single game worth watching. Pick any college basketball game and make a free board in about a minute.
Make a board for a college basketball game
Choose the game from the list, or type the two teams yourself for a tournament game that isn't listed yet.
How March Madness squares work
A grid of 100 squares is drawn up with one team across the top and the other down the side. Everyone claims squares, then random numbers from 0 to 9 are assigned to the rows and columns. At each stage of the game, the last digit of each team's score picks one square, and whoever's name is in it wins that prize. Basketball scores move fast, so the winning square changes often and every basket matters to someone.
Run squares alongside your bracket
- Pick the game. Choose College, then Men's or Women's, and tap the game. The teams, colors and records are filled in for you.
- Share the link. Post it in the office channel or the group chat. Everyone taps the squares they want and types a name. No sign-up.
- Draw the numbers. When the squares are claimed, tap Randomize Numbers before tip-off.
- Watch the game. The host types in the score at each stage and the winning square is highlighted, with the payouts worked out for you.
Which games to run
- The first Thursday and Friday. Plenty of games in a day, so make one board for the game your group will have on in the background.
- The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. Fewer games, bigger crowds. A good time to run it again with the same group.
- The Final Four and the championship. Big game energy, like a Super Bowl party. Make a board for each.
Quarters or halves
Women's games are played in quarters, like football, so a board has four scoring moments. Men's games are played in two halves, so a men's board has two: Halftime and the Final, with overtime counting toward the Final. The grid is the same 10 by 10 either way. Only the number of winners changes. The payout calculator works out the pot and each prize. Play for fun and follow the laws and rules that apply where you live and where you play.
New to squares? Read how to play squares. Prefer paper? Print a free squares sheet. SquaresBets is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NCAA. March Madness is a trademark of the NCAA.
Common questions
What are March Madness squares?
It is the same squares game as football, played on a single basketball game. A 10 by 10 grid is filled with names, random numbers are drawn for each team, and the last digit of each team's score picks the winning square at each stage of the game.
Is this a bracket pool?
No. A bracket pool predicts the whole tournament. Squares is a separate game for one game at a time, so you can run it alongside your bracket and it keeps every game worth watching, even the ones with no team you picked.
Can I make a board for a college basketball game?
Yes. On the create page choose College, then Men's or Women's, and pick the game from the list of upcoming games. You can also type the two teams yourself, which is handy for tournament games that aren't listed yet.
Men's games have two halves. How do the prizes work?
A men's college basketball board has two winners: the square for the score at halftime, and the square for the final score, with overtime counted in the final. The host picks how the pot is split, for example half and half, or a smaller halftime prize and a bigger final. Women's games have four quarters, so their boards have four winners, like football.
Does it have live scoring for college basketball?
Not yet. Live scoring currently works for NFL games. For college basketball the host types in the score at halftime and at the end of the game (after each quarter for women's games), which takes a few seconds. We are working on adding live scoring for more leagues.
How many games are in the tournament?
Each tournament, men's and women's, has 68 teams and 67 games, from the First Four to the championship game. Every one of them can have its own squares board.
Is it free?
Making a board and running it by hand is free, and players don't need an account or an app.
More free squares tools
- Number generatorDraw random 0 to 9 numbers for the rows and columns.
- Winner calculatorType the score and see which square wins.
- Payout calculatorWork out the pot and what each quarter pays.
- Printable squaresPrint a free 100-square or 25-square sheet.
- NFL games this weekStart a board for any game on this week's schedule.
Ready to run your own pool?
It takes about a minute, and your friends don't need an account.