John Petherick Memorial NCAA Pool — Instructions

Overview

This is where you submit your NCAA tournament bracket picks and follow the tournament as it unfolds. Make your picks directly in the bracket, save them, and watch your standing update on the leaderboard as games are finalized. The pool covers the main 64-team bracket — play-in games are not part of the selection process.

Signing In

You'll receive a link to access the pool. Use that link to sign in — your entry will be waiting for you once you're logged in. If you have trouble signing in or can't find your entry, use the Contact Pool Organizer form (available from the navigation bar after signing in).

Making Your Picks

Once you're signed in, open your bracket entry from the leaderboard to start making picks.

Click to pick — select the winner of each matchup directly in the bracket. Selecting a team automatically advances them to the next round.
Each round builds on the previous round's winners.
Later rounds depend on earlier picks — work left to right through the bracket.
Save as you go — you don't have to finish in one sitting.
You can come back and edit as long as the pool hasn't locked. Your most recently saved bracket is what counts.

Deadline / Pool Lock

The pool locks at the tournament deadline set by the organizer. After the lock, brackets can no longer be edited. Make sure your bracket is complete and saved before then.

The lock time will be communicated by the pool organizer. Don't wait until the last minute.

Viewing Entries After Lock

Once the pool is locked and the tournament is underway, you can browse all submitted entries and see how others picked. This is view-only — no changes can be made after lock.

Leaderboard

The leaderboard shows current standings for all entrants. Standings update as games are finalized by the pool organizer. Use the tournament selector to view standings for the current or previous years.

Scoring

Points are based on the round your team wins, multiplied by that team's seed:

Round 1 = 1
Round 2 = 3
Sweet 16 = 6
Elite Eight = 10
Final Four = 15
Championship = 21

Example: a 4-seed winning a Sweet 16 game = 4 × 6 = 24 points.

If your selected team loses before reaching that round, you receive 0 points for that pick. Higher-seeded underdogs are worth more, especially in later rounds.

Important Reminders

Complete your bracket before the lock. Incomplete entries at lock time are removed rather than scored as partial brackets. If you believe there is an issue with your entry after the pool locks, contact the pool organizer to investigate.
Your picks carry forward — if a team you picked in Round 1 loses, you won't receive points for later picks that depended on that team advancing.
What's saved is what counts. Double-check your bracket before the deadline.
You may submit multiple entries unless otherwise specified by the organizer.
Ties in final standings are split evenly — there are no tiebreakers.
Entry fee: $5 per entry. We welcome a completely optional tip/donation of $1 or $2 extra to support upkeep of the site. Follow the payment instructions provided by the pool organizer.

Need Help?

If you have trouble accessing your entry, notice something wrong, or have a question about your score, use the “Contact pool organizer” link in the navigation bar. The organizer manages entry access, payments, and issue resolution.

Disclaimer

This site was built with AI-assisted tools (Claude Code, ChatGPT, and Codex). It has been tested carefully, but bugs may still occur. Please check your bracket and scores carefully.

Good luck — may your upsets be plentiful and your Final Four survive.