Understand the scoring.
Review the points available in every round before choosing the teams you expect to advance and your champion.
Contest Guide
Bracket Contest Rules and Guide
Build Your Bracket. Pick Your Champion.
What is a bracket contest?
A bracket contest is a sports prediction competition in which players predict which teams or competitors will advance through a tournament and ultimately win the championship. Players complete their brackets before the contest deadline, earn points for correct selections and compete against other entries on a leaderboard.
Bracket contests are especially popular for March Madness, but the format can be used for other tournament-style competitions. At BracketContest, each listing identifies the tournament, entry requirements, deadline, scoring system and prizes.
How does a bracket contest work?
Choose a tournament.
Select an available bracket contest and review the schedule, entry requirements, scoring and prizes.
Fill out your bracket.
Pick the winner of every required opening-round matchup, then select which of your predicted winners will advance in each later round.
Choose your champion.
Continue through the bracket until you have selected the tournament winner.
Submit your entry.
Review all required selections and submit your completed bracket before the stated deadline.
Follow the results.
As games are completed and official results are recorded, correct picks earn points under the contest’s scoring system.
Check the leaderboard.
Follow your score and position as the tournament progresses. Final standings and prizes are determined after the contest concludes and results become official.
How to fill out a tournament bracket
Start with the first round shown in the contest. Choose one winner for each matchup. Your selections create the matchups you predict for the next round. Continue until you have picked the champion. The bracket is connected: a team you expect to reach the final must also be selected to advance through the earlier rounds on its path.
Suppose eight teams are playing in a single-elimination tournament. Your completed bracket has seven predictions: four opening-round winners, two semifinal winners and one champion.
| Round | Your picks | What you select |
|---|---|---|
| Opening round | 4 | One winner in each of four matchups |
| Semifinals | 2 | One winner in each predicted semifinal |
| Championship | 1 | Your predicted tournament champion |
If your predicted champion loses in the opening round, you cannot earn points for that team in the later rounds you predicted. You can still earn points for other correct picks and remain competitive.
Bracket contest rules at BracketContest
These are the main rules and features of BracketContest bracket contests. Review the individual contest listing and official rules before entering: the listed tournament, deadlines, scoring and prizes determine how that contest is played.
Entry and eligibility
Select an available contest and review its entry requirements before joining. BracketContest.ag offers free-to-play contests using Bracket Contest Points (BCP). A standard free contest entry costs 20 BCP; review the listing for the applicable cost. Eligibility and geographic restrictions apply as stated in the contest rules.
Contest size
Bracket contests have a maximum of 1,000 players per contest. When a contest reaches its player cap, another contest is created. Check the listing for the contest you are joining and its entry details.
Picks and deadlines
Complete and submit your bracket before the contest deadline. Once the contest begins and selections are locked, bracket picks cannot be changed. Commissioners cannot edit a bracket after the contest has started. Review the listing for the precise deadline and any event-specific lock rules.
Scoring and final standings
Correct picks earn points based on the individual contest’s published scoring system. Scoring varies by event and generally increases in later rounds, with the championship winner typically worth the most. Final standings are based on the applicable contest score and official results.
Prizes
The default prize split is 50% for first, 30% for second, 15% for third and 5% for fourth. The individual listing displays the applicable prize pool and distribution before entry.
Tied entries
There is no separate tiebreaker. When entries tie, the prize percentages for the finishing positions occupied by the tie are combined and divided equally among the tied entries. See the examples below.
How does bracket contest scoring work?
Most bracket contests use graduated scoring: correct selections in later rounds are worth more than correct selections in early rounds. This gives additional weight to picking teams that advance deep into the tournament and to selecting the champion. The actual points for each round are shown in the contest listing.
The following table illustrates how scoring could work in a six-round bracket. These numbers are an example, not the scoring schedule for every BracketContest event.
| Round | Points per correct pick |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | 1 |
| Round 2 | 2 |
| Round 3 | 4 |
| Round 4 | 8 |
| Semifinals | 16 |
| Championship | 32 |
In this example, an entry with 20 correct first-round picks earns 20 points for that round. If the same entry also correctly picks the champion, that championship pick adds 32 points. Add points from all rounds to calculate the entry’s total. A real contest can use different values, rounds and scoring rules.
Why an early loss affects later rounds
Suppose you pick Team A to win its opener, reach the final and become champion. If Team A loses its first game, it cannot earn points for your later Team A selections. Other correct selections remain eligible for points. A bracket can still be competitive without being perfect.
How are bracket contest prizes calculated?
The default prize allocation is shown below. Percentages are applied to the available prize pool. Check the contest listing for the actual allocation.
| Place | Default share of prize pool |
|---|---|
| First | 50% |
| Second | 30% |
| Third | 15% |
| Fourth | 5% |
What happens when bracket contest players tie?
When entries have the same final score, add the prize allocations for the finishing positions they occupy and divide that amount equally among the tied entries. There is no separate tiebreaker.
Using the default split, three entries tied for first occupy first, second and third. Their combined share is 50% + 30% + 15% = 95% of the prize pool. Each entry receives one-third of 95%, or approximately 31.667% of the prize pool, before applicable rounding.
Five entries tied for fourth occupy fourth through eighth. Under the default split, fourth is the only prize position among those places. The five entries share its 5% allocation equally, so each receives 1% of the prize pool.
March Madness bracket contests
A March Madness bracket asks players to predict which teams advance through the NCAA college basketball tournament and which team wins the national championship. Both the men’s and women’s tournaments use a bracket format. The individual contest identifies the tournament, included rounds, deadlines and scoring.
An upset occurs when a lower-seeded team defeats a higher-seeded team. For example, if a No. 12 seed beats a No. 5 seed, that is an upset. A correct upset pick may earn points, but picking an upset that does not occur can also affect later predictions in your bracket.
Bracket contest strategy
Research the matchups.
Consider seeding, team performance, injuries, player availability and how teams match up. None guarantees a result.
Think through each path.
A team must win each game along the way to reach the final. Consider likely opponents in later rounds as well as the opening matchup.
Choose upsets thoughtfully.
An underdog pick can be useful when correct, but an incorrect pick can also cost future scoring opportunities. Balance your assessment of the matchup with the scoring system.
Pay attention to the champion.
The champion generally carries substantial scoring value. Make sure your selection is consistent with your projected path through the bracket.
Review and submit on time.
Check every required selection, confirm your champion and submit before the deadline. Once locked, picks cannot be changed.
No strategy guarantees a winning bracket. Tournament results are uncertain.
Bracket contest compared with other contests
Bracket contest: Predict the progression of an interconnected tournament through its championship. Earlier selections determine your projected later matchups.
Pick’em: Make selections from a set of games or events. Picks are generally scored individually under that contest’s rules.
Survivor: Make qualifying selections from one contest period to the next and try to avoid elimination.
Frequently asked questions
How do I enter a bracket contest?
Choose an available contest, review its entry terms, scoring and prizes, complete your bracket and submit it before the deadline.
Do I need a perfect bracket to win?
No. Your result depends on the points your entry earns compared with other entries. Incorrect picks do not automatically eliminate your bracket.
Can I change my bracket after the contest starts?
No. Once the contest begins and selections are locked, bracket picks cannot be changed. Check the listing for the exact lock deadline.
How many players can enter a contest?
Bracket contests have a maximum of 1,000 players per contest. When the cap is reached, another contest is created. Check the listing for its entry details.
How are bracket contests scored?
Correct picks earn points according to the contest scoring schedule. Scoring generally increases in later rounds, but the exact values vary by event.
What happens if players tie?
The prize allocations for the positions occupied by the tied entries are combined and shared equally. There is no separate tiebreaker.
Are bracket contests free?
BracketContest.ag offers free-to-play contests using BCP. A standard free entry costs 20 BCP; check each listing for its terms and eligibility.
How is the prize pool distributed?
The default prize split is 50% for first, 30% for second, 15% for third and 5% for fourth. The individual listing displays the applicable prize pool and distribution before entry.
When are prizes awarded?
Final standings and eligible prizes are determined after the tournament concludes and results become official, subject to the contest rules. See the contest terms for payment timing.
What happens if a tournament game is cancelled, postponed or changed?
Review the specific contest rules for how scheduling changes or other unusual results are handled. The contest listing and official rules govern those situations.
Ready to build your bracket?
Choose a tournament, review the rules and scoring, make your selections and submit your bracket before the deadline. Then follow the action and see how your entry compares.