How to Score a Men's College Basketball Bracket

The NCAA basketball tournament puts 65 teams in a single-elimination bracket. "March Madness" lasts almost a month and is among the most exiting events in sports. Trying to predict the winner of every game is a fun way to finally figure out which one of your friends knows the most about college basketball.

Things You'll Need

  • Brackets with the official tournament pairings
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Instructions

    • 1

      When the official bracket is announced, go to NCAA.com and print a copy of the it for all of your friends

    • 2

      Before the games begin, have your friends pick the team they think will win each game all the way through the championship. Make sure they also predict the final score of the championship game.

      Once the brackets are handed in, they cannot be changed. If a team is knocked out earlier than you predicted, you cannot earn points in any game in which you picked it to win.

    • 3

      After the first round, go through each bracket and award one point for every game picked correctly.

    • 4

      Award two points for every correct pick in the second round.

    • 5

      Award four points for every correct pick in the third round.

    • 6

      Award eight points for each correct pick in the fourth round, which sets up the Final Four.

    • 7

      Award 16 points for each correct pick in the Final Four games.

    • 8

      Award 32 points for picking the national champion correctly.

    • 9

      Add all the points together. The bracket with the highest total wins.

    • 10

      If there is a tie, use the predicted final score of the championship game as a tie-breaker. The closest predictor is the winner.