NFL Survivor Pool

Are You Ready for Some Football?

The 18th annual Portland Bolt NFL Survivor Pool for 2024 is right around the corner. Make sure you are signed up for our newsletter for the announcement and the link. Compete for your chance to win Amazon gift cards and awesome Portland Bolt swag. This year, we have over $1000 in cash and prizes up for grabs! While Portland Bolt employees are eligible to play, they cannot win the prizes.

The rules are simple. Pick one NFL team each week to win their game and survive to play another week. An incorrect pick will eliminate you from the competition, so choose wisely.

Get your pick in by Sunday, September 8th at 1:00 p.m. ET. If you want to pick an early-week game, you must do so by kickoff. Have fun and good luck!

Make Your Picks
Hex head bolt player running with a football

This year’s prizes include:

  • First place: $250 Amazon gift card, engraved trophy, PB 64 oz growler, PB polo shirt
  • 2nd Place: $100 Amazon gift card, PB PB 64 oz growler, PB polo shirt
  • 3rd Place: $50 Amazon gift card, PB PB 64 oz growler, PB polo shirt

Three random participants will also win a Portland Bolt prize pack, including:

  • PB polo shirt
  • PB baseball cap
  • PB stainless steel pint glass

Congratulations to our random drawing winners:

  • Koly S.
  • Rusty S.
  • Rob W,

Rules

This pool is an NFL Survivor Pool. The winner of the pool will be the last entry remaining after all others have been eliminated or still remain when the pool ends. Each week, you will select one NFL team to be your pick for that week, subject to the pick restrictions and pick schedule outlined below. If your pick WINS their game during that week (regardless of the point spread or which team is favored) you survive and advance to the next week. When an entry ties or loses, it is eliminated from the competition. A tie game, canceled game or game rescheduled for a different week counts as a bad pick.

One Strike & You’re Out

In the past, Portland Bolt has operated the pool allowing 2 strikes before being eliminated. This year, an entry is eliminated from the pool upon a single missed pick.

Pool Season

The pool begins with the first week of the NFL regular season and continues until there is a winner. If there are multiple survivors at the end of the regular season, picks will continue into the playoffs and Super Bowl.

Pool Signup Deadline

To participate in the pool, everyone must first signup by completing the short signup form. The deadline for signing up (and selecting a pick) is Sunday, September 10th at 1 PM ET.

Pool Entries

  • Entry limit: There is a limit of one entry per person.
  • Entry Transfers: Entry ownership can be transferred from one member to another at the discretion of the pool commissioner. Please contact the commissioner if you wish to transfer an entry.
  • Entry Fee: Entry is free.

Rules Governing Picks

How to make picks

To make your pick, sign in and from the dashboard, select “Make Your Picks”. From there, follow the simple instructions. Once you have made your pick, you can change it as many times as you want prior to the deadline specified below.

Pick schedule (number of picks per week)

Each week, you will pick one (1) NFL team.

Pick restrictions

Each NFL team can be picked by an entry only one time during the season. For example, if you pick Indianapolis in the first week, you will not be able to pick them again for the rest of the season. The slate is wiped clean for the playoffs, if multiple participants are still alive.

Pick deadline

You must get your pick in by the weekly deadline – before the first game each Sunday. Early games must be picked before they start. All picks will be hidden until the game has begun (for early games) or until the first game on Sunday.

Default pick

If you fail to make a pick, you will be assigned the smallest available favorite for that week. Entries that use three straight default picks may be removed at the pool administrator’s discretion.

Pick Revelation

Picks for the ongoing week are not publicly revealed until either the game time has passed or the pick sheet locks according to the pick deadline above. Until then, everyone’s picks are hidden. However, the standings page will identify those entries that have made picks for the week (without revealing the actual pick).

Special Circumstances

Technical problems

Due to the nature of the internet, the pool website may not be available at all times. It may be especially difficult to connect to the website as the deadline nears due to high traffic volume. Therefore, you are encouraged to make your pick early each week (remember, you can change your pick as many times you want until the deadline.) Email reminders/notifications for which you have signed up may not be received due to spam-filters, server errors or other technical problems. Failure to receive an email reminder/notification shall not be considered an excuse. The pool commissioner is not responsible for website or software malfunction.

Pool ends in a tie

In the event of a tie, the Point Spread Differential will be used as a tie-breaker.

Commissioner privilege

The pool commissioner has the final decision on all pool matters, including those items not specifically mentioned on this rules page. If you have any questions regarding the pool rules, please contact the pool commissioner for clarification.